BRUSSELS (AP) Britain, France and Germany ratcheted up pressure on Iran today to cease its violations of a landmark nuclear deal, stressing that they want to resolve differences through talks while starting the clock on a process that could result in a so-called snapback of United Nations sanctions.
The three countries, which signed the international agreement in 2015 along with the United States, Russia and China, said in a letter to the European Unions foreign policy chief that they had no choice but to trigger the deals dispute mechanism, given Irans ongoing transgressions.
The three said they rejected Tehrans argument that Iran was justified in violating the deal because the United States broke the agreement by pulling out unilaterally in 2018.
We have therefore been left with no choice, given Irans actions, but to register today our concerns that Iran is not meeting its commitments, the countries said in a joint statement.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who coordinates the agreement on behalf of the world powers, said the pressure on Iran from Europe does not mean international sanctions will automatically be slapped on the Islamic Republic.
The aim of the move by France, Germany and Britain is to find solutions and return (Iran) to full compliance within the framework of this agreement. he said.
Hours later, Irans Foreign Ministry warned of a serious and strong response to the European move.
However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Iran was is fully ready to answer any good will and constructive effort that preserves the nuclear deal. He was quoted today by the official IRNA news agency.
The Europeans stressed that they want to resolve the impasse through constructive diplomatic dialogue and made no threat of sanctions in their statement.
They also specifically distanced themselves from sanctions imposed by the U.S., which Washington has said is part of a maximum pressure campaign against Tehran.
Our three countries are not joining a campaign to implement maximum pressure against Iran, they said. Our hope is to bring Iran back into full compliance with its commitments.
The 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, seeks to prevent Iran from producing a nuclear weapon something Iran insists it does not want to do by putting curbs on its atomic program in exchange for economic incentives.
Under its dispute resolution mechanism, countries have 30 days to resolve their problem, though that can be extended. If it cannot be solved, the matter could be brought before the U.N. Security Council and could then result in the snapback of sanctions that had been lifted under the deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. out in May 2018, saying the pact was insufficient and should be re-negotiated because it didnt address Irans ballistic missile program or its involvement in regional conflicts. Since then he has reinstated American sanctions, which have been having a devastating effect on Irans economy.
In response, Iran has rolled back its commitments in stages to try and pressure the other countries involved to provide economic incentives to offset the American sanctions, but efforts from them so far have been insufficient.
