MOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump’s statements on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on settlement of the Iran nuclear program are provocative and baseless, Head of the State Duma Committee for International Affairs Leonid Slutsky told reporters today.
Earlier, President Trump said at a meeting with the American top brass that Iran does not support the spirit of the agreement on the peaceful character of its nuclear program and that the US should not allow Tehran get the nuclear weapon. Later, ahead of a dinner with the members of the American top brass and their wives, Trump said about the "calm before the storm," but did not specify what he meant by this phrase.
The alarming statements
"Trump’s statements on Iran are alarming. His accusations that Tehran fails to support the spirit of the JCPOA are provocative and yet baseless. Especially considering the fact there are no signs of any violations of the nuclear deal by Iran," he noted.
"If Washington decides to break the agreement on Iran, it will be direct violation of the UN Security Council’s resolution, which EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned bout," Slutsky said. "The JCPOA is not a bilateral agreement: It was signed between Tehran, all five UN Security Council permanent members and Germany. And the efforts of this six-nation group already urged Iran to conduct cooperation with the IAEA on its nuclear program," the committee head reiterated.
He added that "the US withdrawal from this deal may trigger new Iran’s activity on its way to create the nuclear weapon and, what’s most important, to send a negative signal to North Korea, and the situation regarding this country’s nuclear program reminds of a tinderbox." "This will show that one state may easily compromise the balanced joint international agreements and, in fact, put an end to all diplomatic efforts in such a sensitive issue as nuclear deterrence is. This issue was also raised at the platform of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, including by our European partners," Slutsky noted.
"I can’t but say that Trump is partly right in his statements: If the US starts withdrawal from the JCPOA, the storm will start. To my mind, the global community should seriously think about effects of such possible actions by the US and clearly stake out its position to avoid a disaster," the MP added.
A joint meeting of the JCPOA committees
Slutsky noted that the State Duma is "ready to hold a joint meeting of foreign affairs committees with Iran’s parliament to discuss issues regarding the JCPOA in the nearest future." "It is necessary to continue a dialogue with Iran in order to prevent it from dangerous steps. We have enough accumulated constructive experience in relations with Tehran," the committee head concluded.
The Washington Post reported earlier that Trump will declare next week how the US will implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iran nuclear program in the future. Trump plans to reject this deal the way it currently stands, the newspaper reported. He will declare, in particular, that the JCPOA does not serve the national interests of the United States, according to the newspaper.
Trump also plans to gain support of the US Congress on this issue. The newspaper highlighted that the president’s step may launch renewal of sanctions against Iran that were abolished due to implementation of the JCPOA in 2015.