EU concerned over future of Iranian nuclear deal

MOSCOW - 30 November 2017: Like Moscow, Brussels is concerned over the fate of the Iranian nuclear deal, Russia’s envoy to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told a roundtable in the Federation Council (upper house of parliament) devoted to Russian-EU ties, TASS reported.

"There are international issues on which our cooperation cannot be halted," the diplomat stressed. "For example, the Iranian nuclear deal. The EU, like Russia, is alarmed by Washington’s attempts to ditch it and voices concerns over the fate of this deal, he said.

The deal on Iran’s nuclear program, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was reached between Iran and six international mediators (the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, and France) on July 14, 2015. On January 16, 2016, the parties to the deal announced beginning of its implementation.

Under the deal, Iran undertakes to curb its nuclear activities and place them under total control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in exchange of lifting the sanctions imposed previously by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the United States over its nuclear program.

On October 13, US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s new strategy against Tehran. Thus, it says that the United States will seek to offset Iran’s destabilizing influence and will call on the international community to get consolidated to exert pressure on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (Iran's most powerful security and military organization). Apart from that, the US leader refused to recertify the Iran nuclear deal and pledged Washington would seek to amend the JCPOA.