Iran threatens to quit NPT, N-deal

IRAN REMAINS OPEN TO TALKS WITH THE EU ON THE FUTURE OF THE DEAL, BUT WON’T AGREE TO ANY PROPOSALS FROM EITHER EU OR THE US FOR AN ALTERNATIVE

TEHRAN: Iran said on Monday it could quit the global nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if European countries refer it to the UN Security Council over a nuclear agreement, a move that would overturn diplomacy in its confrontation with the West.

The 1968 NPT has been the foundation of global nuclear arms control since the Cold War, including a 2015 deal Iran signed with world powers that offered it access to global trade in return for accepting curbs to its atomic programme. The fate of the 2015 pact has been in doubt since President Donald Trump pulled the US out of it and reimposed sanctions. Iran has responded by scaling back its commitments.

Britain, France and Germany declared Iran in violation of the 2015 pact last week and have launched a dispute mechanism that could eventually see the matter referred back to the Security Council and the reimposition of UN sanctions. “If the Europeans continue their improper behaviour or send Iran’s file to the Security Council, we will withdraw from the NPT,” Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif said, according to comments carried by Iranian news agencies.

Zarif has cancelled his trip to attend the Davos Forum, which Trump is attending.

Earlier on Monday, foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Iran is planning “one last step” in its gradual draw-down from complying with the nuclear deal, raising the possibility that it’s close to announcing a complete withdrawal from the accord.

UKRAINE TO PRESS FOR PLANE BLACK BOXES

Ukraine will press Iran to hand over the black boxes from the crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane at a meeting with a visiting Iranian delegation on Monday, foreign minister Vadym Prystaiko told reporters.

Ukraine would convey the message to visiting minister of roads and urban development Mohammad Eslami, that returning the black boxes would show that Iran wanted an unbiased investigation of the crash, Prystaiko said.

“His main task is to apologise and acknowledge what happened. We hope that we can go a little further than just political discussions and discuss practical problems. Among them in particular is the return of the black boxes,” Prystaiko said.

Iran had said on Sunday it was trying to analyse the black boxes from the airliner its military shot down this month, denying an earlier report it would hand them to Ukraine.