Iran to mull leaving NPT if EU fails to save JCPOA by 60-day deadline

MNA – Iran will consider leaving the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) if the European sides to the JCPOA fail to do their share of saving the agreement before the 60-day deadline, Chairman of Iranian Parliament’s Nuclear Committee told MNA on Monday.

Speaking to Mehr correspondent on Monday, Mojtaba Zonnour, Chairman of Iranian Parliament’s Nuclear Committee, said Europe has no will to preserve the Iran nuclear deal and pay the price that the measures needed to preserve the agreement entail.

“The volume of our economic transactions with Europe at best is $20 billion in a year, whereas the volume of economic transactions between Europe and the US is something between $900-1,000 billion. Of course, Europe would not sacrifice $1,000 billion for $20 billion,” he said.

The MP added that preserving the nuclear deal in its current state is beneficial to Europe, “because they don’t want to pay the price. They just want to control Iran, and make sure that we won’t gain anything from the agreement.”

About Iran’s options in case Europe fails to take concrete steps to save the JCPOA before the 60-day deadline runs out, Zonnour said Iran would increase uranium enrichment to whatever percentage necessary for peaceful purposes, and bring the Arak reactor back on stream.

“We could also stop the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol, reconsider the level of our cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Organization, and mull over leaving the NPT,” he added.

On May 8, exactly a year after the US pulled out from the JCPOA, Iran revealed countermeasures to US’ withdrawal, giving the other remaining parties to the JCPOA 60 days to comply with their commitments, particularly those regarding Iran’s economic interests in the banking and energy sectors, before reducing portions of its own commitments to the agreement stage by stage.

Iran says its decision to reduce commitments to the JCPOA, given the current status of the deal, is within its rights under the agreement.