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Javad Zarif Says Iran Will Cut Back on ‘Voluntary’ JCPOA Commitments - Report

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has reportedly said that Iran would cut back on "voluntary" commitments in the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA), noting that Tehran has no intention to withdraw from it, Reuters reported citing state-run news agency IRNA.
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"Iran's future actions will be fully within the (nuclear deal), from which the Islamic Republic will not withdraw," Zarif said, according to state media. "The European Union and others… did not have the power to resist US pressure, therefore Iran… will not carry out some voluntary commitments."    

Earlier it was reported that the Iranian Foreign Ministry was set to announce to the remaining five signatories of the so-called nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) "diminishing commitments" to the agreement, as well as that President Hassan Rouhani would send a letter.

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On Wednesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks in Moscow with Mohammad Javad Zarif, to discuss bilateral relations and key issues on the international and regional agenda.

Iran is a ‘Force for Stability in the Region’ – Foreign Minister Zarif
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two diplomats will discuss several areas of common interest to the two countries, including the Syrian settlement, the Caspian Sea region, South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Among key issues to be discussed by Lavrov and Zarif is the JCPOA.

Exactly one year ago, on 8 May 2018, US President Donald Trump announced his decision to pull out of the agreement, undermining two years of multilateral nuclear negotiations.  Since then, Trump has imposed numerous sanctions against the Middle Eastern country, seeking to drive Tehran's oil exports to near zero.     

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Other signatories to the deal, including Russia, China, France, Germany, and the UK, however, have confirmed their commitment to the document, also slamming the restrictions Washington unilaterally imposed on Tehran.

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