TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- An Iranian official responded Monday to a European Union warning that it would withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal if Iran continues on its path away from the deal, calling such a move illegal.
The statement by Abbas Mousavi, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, was in reaction to the European Union privately telling Iran that it would withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action if Iran takes a fourth step away from the deal. The move could trigger a dispute mechanism and the possibility of a worldwide sanctions snap-back, with the case being sent back to the UN Security Council, the Europeans have reportedly threatened.
Since the United States left the deal last year and ratcheted up economic sanctions against Iran, the country has taken measured steps away from its mandated guidelines limiting its nuclear program on three different occasions.
Iran said it would take a fourth action away from the program if Europe doesn't take steps to protect Iran from U.S. sanctions. The Trump administration has refused to remove sanctions before talks with Iran.
"(Snap-back sanctions are) dead and from the legal standpoint, there is no possibility of Europe using the snap-back mechanism," Mousavi said on Monday.
The U.S., France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany originally negotiated the JCPOA in 2015 under the Obama administration. President Donald Trump has been a long critic of the deal, claiming that it was not comprehensive enough.
Iran has responded to the U.S. withdrawal and the reluctance of European signatories to protect Tehran from Washington’s sanctions by reciprocally suspending its own nuclear commitments as allowed under the JCPOA.
He on Monday criticized the Europeans for not being able to separate their foreign policy from that of Washington.
Answering a question about the fate of a French initiative led by French President Emmanuel Macron to solve the nuclear issue, Mousavi said Europe has failed to uphold the deal by "tying" its implementation to Tehran’s relations with Washington.
"Until practical and significant steps are taken from their side to persuade us, Iran will continue suspending its nuclear commitments based on the nuclear agreement,” he added.