EU urges Iran to comply with nuclear accord or face action

BRUSSELS: EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, France, Germany and Britain on Monday urged Iran to stick to the 2015 nuclear agreement with major powers or face action which could include the reimposition of sanctions.

The three countries and Mogherini expressed concerns about Iran’s decision to resume low-grade uranium enrichment at its underground Fordow nuclear plant last week, saying the move was inconsistent with the accord.

“We affirm our readiness to consider all mechanisms in the JCPOA, including the dispute resolution mechanism, to resolve the issues related to Iran’s implementation of its JCPOA commitments,” they said, referring to the deal by its formal name.

Earlier on February 1, Britain, France and Germany had launched a trade mechanism to bypass US sanctions on Iran, drawing praise from Tehran – and a warning from Washington.

Brussels had hoped the long-awaited special payment system will help save the Iran nuclear deal by allowing Tehran to keep trading with EU companies despite Washington reimposing sanctions after President Donald Trump abruptly quit the accord last year.

The three countries – the European signatories to the 2015 deal that curbed Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief – launched the device, which had been in preparation for months, at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bucharest.