Iran plans final compliance cut in sign of N-deal exit
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 is planning “one last step” in its gradual drawdown from complying with the nuclear deal, raising the possibility that it’s close to announcing a complete withdrawal from the embattled international accord.
In addition to the five-stage reduction of its commitment that Iran has already announced, it’s now working on the final measure that will have “more effective consequences,” said Abbas Mousavi, foreign ministry spokesman.
In a move that has worsened tensions with Tehran, the UK, France and Germany said last week they would trigger the deal’s dispute resolution mechanism, which could eventually mean the matter being referred to the UN Security Council. Mousavi said the move “lacks legal value” and that an “emptyhanded” EU is unlikely to risk a major escalation in its standoff with Iran by involving the UN’S top decision-making group.
Britain has also infuriated Iran’s government by proposing that the current accord be replaced with a “Trump deal.” Mousavi said that while Iran remains open to talks with the EU on the future of the agreement, the Islamic Republic won’t agree to any proposals from either the bloc or the US for an alternative to the existing deal.
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.