MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. The Iranian leadership has sufficient forces to prevent the destabilization of the country after the resumption of US sanctions, Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan said in an interview with TASS.
"Of course, the economic situation in Iran has worsened a bit after the introduction of US sanctions. The Iranian media state it with anxiety and representatives of the country's leadership generally admitted this fact. At the same time, Iran is a strong country with powerful economic potential. It is not the first time they are at gunpoint of American restrictions. I believe that the Iranian leadership and the nation have enough strength to prevent destabilization of the situation," the diplomat said.
According to him, Russia is interested in a stable situation in Iran. It condemns the illegal US sanctions policy and is calling on other Western countries to do the same.
"Taking into account that the Americans withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA) while Iran, on the contrary, fully complies with all of its obligations under the nuclear agreement, the Europeans must show the appropriate political will and ensure that Tehran receives the economic bonuses and dividends that they are entitled to as part of JSPOA and also to ensure the implementation of a new payment instrument for settlements with Iran that was created a few days earlier, (the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) - TASS)," the diplomat said.
Earlier this month, the UK, Germany and France (the European Union signatories of the nuclear deal) launched a special purpose vehicle (SPV) dubbed the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) in order to facilitate legal trade with Iran. France agreed to take the SPV under its jurisdiction, while Iran is expected to establish a similar entity.
The Russian ambassador went on to say that the EU’s position on Iranian oil supplies will show how Brussels is capable of pursuing a foreign policy, which is independent of Washington.
"For Iran, oil is most important. Whether Europe will be able to order the volumes of oil exports Iran needs to ensure the flow of revenues to its budget is a very big question," the diplomat said.
"If the Europeans succeed - kudos to them! They will prove that they have enough will and courage to withstand the pressure of Washington," the diplomat said.
"The EU countries must actually show that they are capable of pursuing an independent foreign policy without fear of shouting from their overseas partners," he said.
About JCPOA
The deal on Iran’s nuclear program, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was reached between Iran and six international mediators (Russia, the UK, China, the US, France and Germany) on July 14, 2015. In January 2016, the parties to the deal announced the beginning of its implementation. Under the deal, Iran undertook to curb its nuclear activities and place them under total control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in exchange of lifting the sanctions imposed previously by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the United States over its nuclear program.
US President Donald Trump stated on numerous occasions that the Iran nuclear deal was flawed arguing that it did not prevent the creation of nuclear weapons by Iran but only postponed it. On May 8, 2018, Washington withdrew from the agreement. The remaining parties to JCPOA stayed committed to the agreement.