MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Union should play a bigger role in enforcing the implementation of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal agreed upon between Tehran and the so-called P5+1 group of countries, Rouhani said.
"The full implementation of JCPOA complies with the interests of the European Union and the region. Therefore, it is necessary for Europe to boost its efforts in this area," Rouhani said at a meeting with Stefan Scholz, Austria’s newly appointed ambassador to Tehran.
The president added that the JCPOA was a mutually beneficial agreement that, on the one hand, allayed some countries' concerns about the Iranian nuclear program and, on the other hand, helped lift the sweeping anti-Iran sanctions, thus letting Tehran attract investors, cutting-edge technology and banking partners to the country.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told lawmakers that Tehran could withdraw from the JCPOA within hours if the United States continued to escalate rhetoric about imposing additional sanctions. Rouhani's remarks came after the US Senate approved a bill on new non-nuclear sanctions against 18 individuals and entities in Iran on July 29. Additionally, in early August, US President Donald Trump signed into law new sanctions on Iran, Russia and North Korea.
On July 14, 2015, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany (collectively referred to as the P5+1 group) signed the JCPOA with Iran on the latter's nuclear program. The accord stipulated a gradual lifting of anti-Iran sanctions in exchange for Tehran's assurances that its nuclear program would remain in a peaceful nature.
