Iran said Friday’s meeting in Vienna between the remaining signatories of the nuclear deal was the “last chance” to save the accord after the US withdrawal last year and warned Tehran would not accept “artificial” solutions to US sanctions.
Iran is threatening to exceed the maximum amount of enriched uranium allowed it by the deal, in retaliation for crippling US economic sanctions imposed in the past year. It is just days away from that limit, diplomats say, and going over it could unravel the accord.
Senior officials from Iran and the deal’s remaining parties will meet with the aim of saving the pact. But with European powers limited in their ability to shield Iran’s economy from US sanctions, it is unclear what they can do to provide the large economic windfall Tehran wants.
On Friday, Iran’s Fars news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi as saying, “I think this meeting can be the last chance for the remaining parties...to gather and see how they can meet their commitments towards Iran.”
Mousavi said that despite supporting Iran’s stance in several statements, the remaining signatories – Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia – had failed to take any action.
Fars also quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who is in Vienna, as saying Iran had run out of “strategic patience”, and adding, “Iran will not tolerate remaining unilaterally committed to the nuclear deal.”
He said he hoped the Vienna meeting could lead to “tangible” action, the agency said.
The European powers have set up a mechanism for barter trade called Instex, in an effort to protect at least some of Iran’s economy from the US sanctions.
Instex would net out amounts at either end but is not yet operational and diplomats have said it will only be able to handle small volumes of items such as medicine, not the large oil sales Iran is seeking.
“We should see how much money can be transferred via Instex,” Mousavi said. “If it’s an artificial mechanism, Iran will surely not accept it.”
Also Read
-
Iran still short of nuclear deal’s enriched uranium cap, say diplomats
Iran is still short of the maximum amount of enriched uranium it is allowed to have under its deal with major powers but it is on course to reach that ... Middle East -
Iran tells UN it cannot save nuclear deal
Iran told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that it cannot “alone” save the nuclear deal, turning up pressure on the Europeans, Russia ... Middle East -
Brian Hook: If nuclear deal continued, Iran would be stronger aggressor today
If the US had not pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, Iran would be a stronger aggressor today because the restrictions on its nuclear program would ... Middle East -
Iran to take new steps to reduce commitment to nuclear deal on July 7
Iran will take new steps to reduce its commitments under its nuclear deal with world powers on July 7, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security ... Middle East
