Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Tuesday that recently re-imposed U.S. sanctions had served to make his country’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers “untenable�, warning that Tehran itself could withdraw from the agreement.
Abbas Araqchi described the 2015 deal as a “great political achievement�, reiterating Iran’s commitment to complying with the deal’s terms, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Iran and the P5+1 group of nations (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) signed the deal in July of 2015.
“But the U.S. sanctions, which have been re-imposed despite the International Atomic Energy Agency’s confirmation that Iran has complied with the deal’s terms, have made the agreement much less beneficial,� Araqchi told IRNA.
“The recent re-imposition of sanctions has brought revenue accruing to Iran as a result of the deal almost to zero,� Araqchi lamented.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have mounted since May, when U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the 2015 agreement.
In August, the U.S. re-imposed a first round of sanctions that mainly targeted Iran’s banking sector.
A second phase of sanctions -- targeting Iran’s energy sector -- came into effect on Nov. 5, although Washington granted a 180-day reprieve to the eight largest buyers of Iranian oil, including Turkey.
By Ahmet Dursun
Anadolu Agency