Your trusted source

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the only way to maintain the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is to lift "inhuman" US sanctions, IRNA reported.

As a document approved by the Security Council and the product of the long efforts of Iran and the six largest countries in the world, the JCPOA has a specific framework and is unchangeable, President Rouhani said in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday.

Rouhani highlighted that it is impossible to enter new topics into the JCPOA.

Criticizing Europe's performance in fulfilling its JCPOA commitments after the unilateral withdrawal of the US from the agreement, he stressed that If they really seek to maintain the JCPOA and its objectives, they must see its effectiveness in practice and within the framework of the developed structure, and Europe must prove it in practice.

Rouhani went on to say that the continuation of the JCPOA lacks legitimacy and acceptability by continuing sanctions and the parties' failure to abide by their commitments, adding that the only way to maintain the JCPOA is to lift inhuman and illegal US sanctions and then to return to the JCPOA.

Stating that the government is obliged to further reduce its obligations in exchange for non-compliance with the other party and lifting sanctions, he noted that if sanctions are lifted, Iran will completely fulfill its obligations in the form of the JCPOA.

Pointing to the importance of peace and stability in the region and the crises caused by the presence of foreigners and the spread of terrorism, Rouhani called the region's most important past, present, and future challenges as extension of terrorism, stressing that ensuring peace and security and eradicating terrorism would only be possible with the constructive cooperation of all countries.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the need to maintain the JCPOA as an international agreement and urged resolving disagreements through dialogue and strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation of all countries to maintain security and stability in the region.