Zarif: US contempt for diplomacy threatens global security

Tehran, July 14, IRNA – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of signing Iran nuclear deal said the US’ contempt for diplomacy threatens the security in the US and the world. “Today is 5th anniv. of the #JCPOA—last decade’s greatest diplomatic achievement—and reminder that the US lawless behavior should not be the yardstick by which int'l norms are measured,” Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on Tuesday. "US contempt for law & diplomacy places it in global disrepute & threatens global—and US—security," he added. Earlier, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy and Security Affairs Josep Borrell said in a statement that the EU will do everything possible together with other parties to preserve Iran nuclear deal - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Describing Iran nuclear deal as a historic multilateral achievement for global nuclear non-proliferation, he said: "The JCPOA remains the only tool to provide the international community with the necessary assurances regarding Iran’s nuclear program.” “It consists of nuclear-related commitments to be implemented by Iran in exchange for sanctions-lifting by the international community with a view to normalizing trade and economic relations with Iran,” the EU top diplomat noted. “The agreement also provides for unprecedented monitoring and verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and I commend the continuous professional, technical and impartial work of the agency. The full implementation of the JCPOA by all sides remains crucial.” Meanwhile, Iran's Ambassador to France Bahram Qasemi said in a message to mark the fifth anniversary of signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that no agreement or relationship can survive by one party commitment. Iran and the six world powers- US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany- reached a nuclear agreement, aka Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on July 14, 2015, after 13 years of intensive diplomatic talks. The US is no longer the participant in the deal as it withdrew unilaterally from the agreement on May 8, 2018.