INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Secretary of State, has said European nations need to make a decision on whether to reinstate sanctions against Iran, accusing Tehran of not
complying with the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).Following talks with his European counterparts in Paris on
Thursday, Rubio claimed, "They must make a crucial decision soon regarding the reactivation of sanctions, as Iran has clearly exited the
current deal."However, this narrative overlooks critical historical context
The JCPOA, initially signed in 2015, saw Iran agree to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief
The deal was a multilateral effort involving the U.S., Iran, and five other world powers
subsequent scaling back of its commitments under the deal
exit, Iran has repeatedly called out Washington for failing to uphold its side of the agreement, and for instigating further regional
claimed that Iran is now closer than ever to developing nuclear weapons
This comes amid rising claims from the West about Iran's nuclear program
President Donald Trump has also reiterated that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons, framing it as a red line for the U.S
and its allies.However, Iran has maintained that it is not responsible for the collapse of the nuclear deal
Tehran has argued that the U.S
withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, combined with the subsequent re-imposition of harsh sanctions, forced Iran to reduce its compliance with
the agreement's stipulations
Iran has also consistently stated that the "snapback" mechanism, which would allow a re-imposition of UN sanctions, is not their
responsibility, as the U.S
is entirely logical and necessary," Rubio continued
His call for European nations to make a "swift decision" on the activation of the snapback mechanism reflects a divide within the U.S
This article first appeared/also appeared in Tehran Times
