Iran: US Sanctions Violate Spirit of Geneva Nuclear Deal
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s foreign minister on Sunday criticized the US for imposing fresh sanctions on Tehran, saying such a move runs counter to the spirit of the Joint Plan of Action, an interim nuclear agreement struck between Iran and world powers in Geneva last November.
“These sanctions are definitely against the spirit of the Geneva deal,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said at a joint press conference with his Finnish counterpart, held in Tehran on Sunday.
He made the comments in reaction to the US Treasury Department’s new sanctions on more than 25 Iranian individuals and companies, including shipping firms, oil companies, airlines and six Iranian banks.
The top Iranian diplomat explained that the US decided to slap the new sanctions in an effort to “satisfy the lobbies which are opposed to any kind of agreement” over Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.
The Geneva deal, signed in November 2013, was indeed an agreement for the strengthening of mutual confidence between Iran and six world powers and was designed to pave the way for a permanent, comprehensive accord to settle a decade-long standoff on Iran’s nuclear activities.
Based on the interim deal, the world powers agreed to suspend some non-essential sanctions and to impose no new nuclear-related bans in return for Tehran's decision to freeze parts of its nuclear activities.
However, the US Treasury Department has claimed it was targeting individuals and companies for evading previous sanctions, prior to the Geneva deal.
Reacting to the US “justification” of the new bans, Foreign Minister Zarif made it clear that Iran could also work on retaliatory measures by taking advantage of the technical and complicated details of the Geneva deal like the other side.
The minister added that Iran has so far shown restraint and has not resorted to the options that could be “unpalatable” to the other sides engaged in nuclear talks, but stressed, “If we find out that the opposite side is abusing our restraint, there will be grounds for action that would be decided upon at the proper time.”
Iran and the Group 5+1 (alternatively known as P5+1 or E3+3) are in talks to reach a final agreement over Tehran’s nuclear energy program and the removal of unjustified sanctions against Iran.
The two sides are supposed to hold meetings in New York in September.
