EU resolutely committed to Iran Nuke deal: Envoy

An envoy of the European Union (EU) on Wednesday reiterated support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, despite mounting tensions between the United States and the Islamic republic.

"At this particular challenging moment, it is important to remind ourselves of the achievements of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," Joao Vale de Almeida, head of the EU delegation to the United Nations, said at the Security Council's semi-annual briefing on the implementation of Resolution 2231, which endorsed the JCPOA on Iran's nuclear program.

"It rolled back Iran's nuclear program, blocked access to plutonium and high-enriched uranium and established the most robust verification mechanism by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)," he said, noting the JCPOA is a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and was endorsed unanimously by UNSC Resolution 2231.

"It is the only tool available to provide the international community with the necessary assurances on Iran's nuclear program," he said.

"This is why the EU is resolutely committed to the JCPOA, continues to support it and is determined to work with the international community to preserve it," said the EU envoy.

He pledged that the EU has been consistent in its commitment to the continued full and effective implementation of the agreement as long as Iran abides by its commitments. "This has been repeated in numerous statements and in our most recent EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of Feb. 4, 2019."

Noting that the JCPOA has been delivering on its nuclear goal: to provide the international community with the necessary reassurances on the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, the envoy said that "as confirmed by 15 consecutive reports by the IAEA, Iran has continued to implement its nuclear-related commitments, and it must continue to do so."

Vale de Almeida also expressed his regret for U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA.

With reference to the chair's statement after the March 6, 2019 Joint Commission (of the JCPOA), the remaining participants of the JCPOA recognize that, alongside implementation by Iran of its nuclear-related commitments, the lifting of sanctions allowing for the normalization of trade and economic relations with Iran constitute essential parts of the JCPOA. In this regard, the EU and all the 28 member states deeply regret the withdrawal of the United States from the agreement, said the envoy.

"The U.S. subsequent re-imposition of unilateral sanctions, its decision to not extend waivers with regard to trade in oil and not to fully renew waivers for nuclear non-proliferation projects are having a significant impact on Iran's economy," the envoy noted.

At the briefing, Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo presented the latest secretary-general's report on the implementation of Resolution 2231. The Council's facilitator for the resolution's implementation, Belgian UN ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, reported on the work of the Council related to Resolution 2231.