German FM arrives in Iran as race to save nuclear deal continues

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Tehran June 10 to meet with Iranian leaders and discuss ways to reduce tensions with the United States amid efforts to save the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

Maas met for two hours with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif before a joint press conference. Maas said the Middle East is currently in a “sensitive and serious situation,” adding that “the increase in tensions in the region is not in anyone’s interests.” Maas visited Jordan, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates before arriving in Tehran. Of his meetings in those countries, he said, “No one wants an increase in tensions and I’m bringing this message from the region to Tehran.”

The United States exited the JCPOA in May 2018 and subsequently reimposed sanctions on Iran. Of the JCPOA, Maas said, “The three European countries support the JCPOA, we want to implement our commitments, we do not want to perform a miracle but we are trying to keep the JCPOA. Therefore we are committed to implementing INSTEX.”

INSTEX, or Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, was designed to facilitate trade between France, Germany and the United Kingdom with Iran to bypass the reimposed US sanctions. However, despite the January 2019 announcement of its existence, INSTEX has yet to be implemented.