In an apparent last-ditch attempt to force Europe’s hand in preserving the nuclear deal and showing Iranian resolve to step away if their interests are not guaranteed, Iran has announced it will continue to scale back its commitments under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, spoke to reporters at the nascent Arak heavy water nuclear facility on June 17. In May, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council announced the country would scale back its commitments and gave European signatories to the deal 60 days to provide the promised economic dividends of the JCPOA in order to keep it alive. The United States exited the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions, putting the United Kingdom, Germany and France in the middle of wanting to preserve the deal but afraid of US sanctions if they do. The proposed plan — the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, which was announced in January — has not yet been implemented.
