EU’s Borrell to continue role as coordinator in nuclear talks
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The European Union’s foreign policy chief will continue his role as coordinator between Iran and countries involved in the currently suspended nuclear talks, a spokesperson to the EU said on Saturday.
“The JCPOA issue is a separate process that the EU high representative acts as a coordinator and makes arrangements between the participants,” Iranian state media quoted EU’s lead spokesperson for external affairs Peter Stano as saying.
Stano added that EU’s Josep Borrell does not decide the procedures of the nuclear talks, but rather only take a role of coordinator and facilitator, stressing that Borrell continues to interact with all parties to the talks, including Iran and the US.
This comes after the European parliament on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling on the EU and its member states to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its subsidiaries to its terrorist list in light of Iran’s violent repression of the nation-wide protests and its supply of drones to Russia to use in the war in Ukraine.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian criticized the EU’s “inappropriate” approach, stressing that the IRGC is an official institution that plays an important role in Iran’s national security.
“Unfortunately, today we witnessed the issuance of an emotional, sharp and unprofessional draft resolution by the European Parliament, which is in conflict with political rationality and civility," Amir-Abdollahian was cited by Iranian state media as saying, in a phone call with Borrell.
Reviving the nuclear deal - formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - appeared to be close in August following a proposed European Union “final” text. However, Iran’s violent crackdown on the protests that engulfed the country following the death of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini while in police custody in September led to a barrage of condemnations and sanctions from the international community, also pausing the talks aimed at restoring the deal.
The JCPOA was signed between Britain, France, China, Germany, Russia, Iran, and the US in 2015, offering Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program to ensure it does not enrich enough uranium to develop a nuclear weapon.
Former US president Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018, believing it was too lenient on Iran.
Sporadic talks, mediated by the European Union, have been held between Iran and the US to restore the JCPOA since April 2021.
The US Department of State earlier this month blamed the Iranian government for the inability to reach an agreement to return to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, claiming that Tehran has not given Washington a reason to put faith into their statements.
The spokesperson to the state department at the time said that the JCPOA has not been on Washington’s agenda since September, stressing that the main focus since then has been supporting the Iranian people’s right to hold protests, and countering the proliferation of Iranian drone technology which has been used by Russia in its strikes on Ukraine.
“The JCPOA issue is a separate process that the EU high representative acts as a coordinator and makes arrangements between the participants,” Iranian state media quoted EU’s lead spokesperson for external affairs Peter Stano as saying.
Stano added that EU’s Josep Borrell does not decide the procedures of the nuclear talks, but rather only take a role of coordinator and facilitator, stressing that Borrell continues to interact with all parties to the talks, including Iran and the US.
This comes after the European parliament on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling on the EU and its member states to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its subsidiaries to its terrorist list in light of Iran’s violent repression of the nation-wide protests and its supply of drones to Russia to use in the war in Ukraine.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian criticized the EU’s “inappropriate” approach, stressing that the IRGC is an official institution that plays an important role in Iran’s national security.
“Unfortunately, today we witnessed the issuance of an emotional, sharp and unprofessional draft resolution by the European Parliament, which is in conflict with political rationality and civility," Amir-Abdollahian was cited by Iranian state media as saying, in a phone call with Borrell.
Reviving the nuclear deal - formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - appeared to be close in August following a proposed European Union “final” text. However, Iran’s violent crackdown on the protests that engulfed the country following the death of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini while in police custody in September led to a barrage of condemnations and sanctions from the international community, also pausing the talks aimed at restoring the deal.
The JCPOA was signed between Britain, France, China, Germany, Russia, Iran, and the US in 2015, offering Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program to ensure it does not enrich enough uranium to develop a nuclear weapon.
Former US president Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018, believing it was too lenient on Iran.
Sporadic talks, mediated by the European Union, have been held between Iran and the US to restore the JCPOA since April 2021.
The US Department of State earlier this month blamed the Iranian government for the inability to reach an agreement to return to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, claiming that Tehran has not given Washington a reason to put faith into their statements.
The spokesperson to the state department at the time said that the JCPOA has not been on Washington’s agenda since September, stressing that the main focus since then has been supporting the Iranian people’s right to hold protests, and countering the proliferation of Iranian drone technology which has been used by Russia in its strikes on Ukraine.