Energy Chief Canete in Tehran
EU’s Verbal Pledge Without Guarantees
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- The European Union’s energy chief sought to reassure Iran on Saturday that the bloc remained committed to salvaging a nuclear deal with Tehran despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to exit the accord and reimpose sanctions.
Miguel Arias Canete delivered the message on a visit to Tehran and also said the 28-nation EU, once the biggest importer of Iranian oil, hoped to strengthen trade with Iran.
"We have sent a message to our Iranian friends that as long as they are sticking to the (nuclear) agreement the Europeans will... fulfill their commitment. And they said the same thing on the other side,” Arias Canete, European Commissioner for energy and climate, told reporters after talks with Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi.
His visit came after Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif traveled to Brussels to get clear guarantees that Iran would enjoy the benefits of remaining in the nuclear deal.
But the Europeans refused to give such assurances, with EU’s top policy chief Federica Mogherini saying she "cannot talk about legal or economic guarantees.”
Salehi said Saturday it would be disastrous if EU efforts fail to preserve the 2015 deal, in which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear work in return for the lifting of most Western sanctions. "The ball is in their (EU leaders) court,” Salehi said. "We hope their efforts materialize.”
He said the Islamic Republic is more powerful than any time and cannot be easily pressured in the face of U.S. plans to reimpose sanctions on the country.
"Iran's authority and position are such that it cannot be easily pushed around. Today, Iran is in a more powerful position than the past," he said.
Salehi said Iran hopes the European Union will fulfill its pledges "in the near future" after the bloc launched "the blocking statute" process on Friday to protect Europeans from US sanctions on Iran.
"However, until these promises are not implemented and put into practice, we cannot speak firmly," he said. "We hope that in the near future, we could witness the materialization of these pledges."
Otherwise, "the Iranian nation should rest assured that we will press ahead on the path of progress with strength and firmness without any worries and there will be no serious problems even though there might be some disruptions which may slow down the pace but they cannot stop us," Salehi added.
The European Union, he said, had made proposals and taken initial steps toward using the euro in dealings with the Islamic Republic.
Salehi also described U.S. exit from the Iran nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as a foolish move.
Now the whole international community has come to the understanding that "the US is not a reliable and trustworthy country in international dealings," he added.
Since Trump’s announcement of the U.S. exit on May 8, EU leaders have pledged to try to keep Iran’s oil trade and investment flowing but admitted that will not be easy to do so.
Britain, France and Germany back the deal but have called on Iran to limit its regional influence and curb the missile program.
"The EU’s adopted mechanisms ... should be enforced by August 8, when U.S. sanctions begin to take effect,” Iranian TV quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, as saying.
Salehi said Iran had several options, including resuming its 20% uranium enrichment, if the European countries failed to keep the pact alive. He said the EU had only a few weeks to deliver on their promises.
"If the other side keeps itself committed to its promises we also will. ...We hope the situation will not arise to the point that we will have to go back to the worst option,” Salehi told reporters in English.
"There are all kind of possibilities, we can ... start the 20% enrichment.”
Under the 2015 deal, Iran’s level of enrichment must remain at around 3.6%. Iran stopped producing 20% enriched uranium and gave up the majority of its stockpile as part of the agreement.
In their diplomacy with Tehran, EU sources say Iranian government officials have warned they are under pressure from those who say Iran has traded away its nuclear sovereignty without reaping any economic benefits.
Iran has struggled to cash in on the accord, partly because of remaining unilateral U.S. sanctions that have deterred major Western investors from doing business with Tehran.
Rouhani has tried to assure ordinary Iranians, frustrated by high unemployment and stagnant living standards, that Trump’s decision would have no impact on Iran’s oil-reliant economy.
"Unfortunately because of the negative interferences of the U.S., we were not able to reap the fruits of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions) we expected,” Salehi said.
"Public opinion is not as supportive as it was before and if the other side does not deliver... we will keep losing the support of our people for the JCPOA.”
Miguel Arias Canete delivered the message on a visit to Tehran and also said the 28-nation EU, once the biggest importer of Iranian oil, hoped to strengthen trade with Iran.
"We have sent a message to our Iranian friends that as long as they are sticking to the (nuclear) agreement the Europeans will... fulfill their commitment. And they said the same thing on the other side,” Arias Canete, European Commissioner for energy and climate, told reporters after talks with Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi.
His visit came after Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif traveled to Brussels to get clear guarantees that Iran would enjoy the benefits of remaining in the nuclear deal.
But the Europeans refused to give such assurances, with EU’s top policy chief Federica Mogherini saying she "cannot talk about legal or economic guarantees.”
Salehi said Saturday it would be disastrous if EU efforts fail to preserve the 2015 deal, in which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear work in return for the lifting of most Western sanctions. "The ball is in their (EU leaders) court,” Salehi said. "We hope their efforts materialize.”
He said the Islamic Republic is more powerful than any time and cannot be easily pressured in the face of U.S. plans to reimpose sanctions on the country.
"Iran's authority and position are such that it cannot be easily pushed around. Today, Iran is in a more powerful position than the past," he said.
Salehi said Iran hopes the European Union will fulfill its pledges "in the near future" after the bloc launched "the blocking statute" process on Friday to protect Europeans from US sanctions on Iran.
"However, until these promises are not implemented and put into practice, we cannot speak firmly," he said. "We hope that in the near future, we could witness the materialization of these pledges."
Otherwise, "the Iranian nation should rest assured that we will press ahead on the path of progress with strength and firmness without any worries and there will be no serious problems even though there might be some disruptions which may slow down the pace but they cannot stop us," Salehi added.
The European Union, he said, had made proposals and taken initial steps toward using the euro in dealings with the Islamic Republic.
Salehi also described U.S. exit from the Iran nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as a foolish move.
Now the whole international community has come to the understanding that "the US is not a reliable and trustworthy country in international dealings," he added.
Since Trump’s announcement of the U.S. exit on May 8, EU leaders have pledged to try to keep Iran’s oil trade and investment flowing but admitted that will not be easy to do so.
Britain, France and Germany back the deal but have called on Iran to limit its regional influence and curb the missile program.
"The EU’s adopted mechanisms ... should be enforced by August 8, when U.S. sanctions begin to take effect,” Iranian TV quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, as saying.
Salehi said Iran had several options, including resuming its 20% uranium enrichment, if the European countries failed to keep the pact alive. He said the EU had only a few weeks to deliver on their promises.
"If the other side keeps itself committed to its promises we also will. ...We hope the situation will not arise to the point that we will have to go back to the worst option,” Salehi told reporters in English.
"There are all kind of possibilities, we can ... start the 20% enrichment.”
Under the 2015 deal, Iran’s level of enrichment must remain at around 3.6%. Iran stopped producing 20% enriched uranium and gave up the majority of its stockpile as part of the agreement.
In their diplomacy with Tehran, EU sources say Iranian government officials have warned they are under pressure from those who say Iran has traded away its nuclear sovereignty without reaping any economic benefits.
Iran has struggled to cash in on the accord, partly because of remaining unilateral U.S. sanctions that have deterred major Western investors from doing business with Tehran.
Rouhani has tried to assure ordinary Iranians, frustrated by high unemployment and stagnant living standards, that Trump’s decision would have no impact on Iran’s oil-reliant economy.
"Unfortunately because of the negative interferences of the U.S., we were not able to reap the fruits of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions) we expected,” Salehi said.
"Public opinion is not as supportive as it was before and if the other side does not deliver... we will keep losing the support of our people for the JCPOA.”