Tehran, Feb 21, IRNA – Opt-out from IAEA Additional Protocol does not mean exit from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday.
Araghchi made the remarks in a televised speech on Saturday night in the run-up to a decision made by parliament to opt out of Additional Protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency on February 23.
The Iranian Parliament has obliged the government to stop the voluntary implementing of the IAEA additional protocol if the other JCPOA parties refuse to respect their commitments under the JCPOA by Feb 23.
Araghchi said that 15 previous reports by the international nuclear agency confirmed Iran’s compliance with its undertakings.
Iran remained committed to all its undertakings under the 2015 nuclear deal even observed one-year Strategic Patience after the United States withdrew from the JCPOA, Araqchi said, adding that Iran is still a participant to the deal.
He said that US President Joe Biden during his election campaign declared the US return to some international agreements, including JCPOA, adding that the Democrats had come to the conclusion that the "maximum pressure" pursued by former president Donald Trump had failed.
Biden signaled readiness to rejoin the negotiations with Iran within the framework of the G5+1 but it seems that he has not been able to overcome the internal disagreements yet, Araghchi said.
Commenting on recent remarks by US officials, he said, “Do they think we will accept through negotiations what we refused to accept under maximum pressure?”
