Iran’s FM Zarif Believes US Will Continue Waiving Sanctions
By Mehdi Sepahvand
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Washington will continue to waive its anti-Iran sanctions.
“Judging from the JCPOA implementation record so far, I think the US will extend a suspension of the sanctions,” Zarif told ISNA news agency May 2.
He noted that during a recent Joint Commission meeting with the JCPOA parties, Iran and the group 5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany), stressed their will to continue implementing the JCPOA, Iran’s nuclear deal, under which the sanctions were removed.
However, the minister pointed out that Washington is doing much to taper down the benefits of the deal for Iran, but maintained that Washington takes care not to violate the deal in word.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson certified on April 18 that Iran is complying with the terms of former President Barack Obama’s historic deal to roll back its nuclear program. The certification, made to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), extended sanctions relief to Iran.
In an April 2016 campaign speech, US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran had already violated the deal, immediately after Obama had made it. Trump had vowed he would tear the deal.
