Moscow considers Tehran’s decision to end the implementation of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) condition for the nuclear program as a necessary measure in connection with the United States policy in the region. This is stated in the commentary of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“Iran’s statement that it no longer considers itself bound by certain restrictions stipulated in the JCPOA should be considered in the context of everything that happens around the agreements, starting in May 2018, when the United States unilaterally severed them,” the department explained. .

The ministry believes that the root causes of the current crisis around the JCPOA are that the United States carried out "massive attacks" on agreements with Tehran, held together by UN Security Council resolution 2231.

Recall that the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan was adopted in 2015 following the results of ten-year negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation, the USA, China, Great Britain and the EU with Tehran (“5 + 1” format).

  • Donald Trump / Qassem Suleimani
  • Reuters
  • © AFP

The agreement provides for the abolition of most of the economic sanctions imposed against the Islamic republic. In exchange, Iran pledged to reduce its enriched uranium reserves to 300 kg and not exceed this level, reduce the number of centrifuges, not build additional reactors and refrain from developing a nuclear explosive device.

“The last limitation”

However, from the moment the JCPOA has entered into force, various accusations are regularly addressed to Tehran. In particular, Western countries are unhappy that Iran continued to develop its missile program, although Security Council resolution 2231 in support of the JCPOA does not limit the republic in developing any weapons other than nuclear.

Donald Trump even before he took office as president of the United States, criticized the nuclear deal with Iran, indicating that it was allegedly poorly designed. Having become the head of the White House, Trump announced in May 2018 that Washington would withdraw from the JCPOA.

According to the American leader, Tehran violates the nuclear deal, that is, it continues to enrich uranium and develop illegal weapons. At the same time, no evidence was provided to these allegations, but Washington demanded that the Islamic Republic shut down its missile program, stop supporting "terrorists and extremists", and ensure "freedom of navigation" in the Persian Gulf.

Iran refused to comply with such an ultimatum and declared the right not to comply with the JCPOA if the United States continues to exert military-political pressure.

At present, relations between the two states have significantly deteriorated due to the assassination by the US Air Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Kassem Suleimani. A senior officer was killed on January 3 in the area of ​​Baghdad Airport by a drone strike.

According to the newspaper The Washington Post, the main initiator of this operation was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Formally, the order to destroy Suleymani was given by Donald Trump. In addition, the head of the White House said that in the event of an armed confrontation, US troops could destroy 52 Iranian objects, including cultural monuments. He promised that the strikes would be delivered "very quickly and very hard."

The assassination of General IRGC was one of the topics of telephone conversations between President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. Both leaders believe that the incident could seriously aggravate the situation in the Middle East region. The situation that developed after the death of Suleymani was also the subject of a conversation between the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran Mohammad Bagheri.

Earlier, the Islamic Republic threatened Washington with a military response and announced the waiver of "the last key limitation in the nuclear deal regarding the number of centrifuges." Thus, Tehran has completely discontinued its obligations related to the JCPOA.

  • Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif shakes hands with US Secretary of State John Kerry at a nuclear deal
  • Reuters
  • © US State Department / Handout

At the same time, as the Iranian leadership has repeatedly emphasized, all the country's actions to enrich uranium are reversible. The Republic is going to return to the implementation of the nuclear deal in the event of termination of US pressure and the lifting of sanctions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also noted Tehran’s readiness to “immediately return to full compliance with all requirements of the JCPOA as soon as its legitimate concerns regarding the non-fulfillment of the terms of the“ nuclear deal ”by some other participants are removed.”

“In this regard, there really are gaps that have been repeatedly discussed. We hope that the necessary solutions will eventually be found. A lot in this regard depends on our European colleagues, ”the Russian diplomatic department noted.

Also, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Tehran’s refusal to comply with the terms of the deal does not pose any threat from the point of view of the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The republic carries out all its actions “in close cooperation and under constant supervision by the IAEA”. For its part, Moscow remains fully committed to the JCPOA and is ready to continue work on its implementation.

“Continue to put pressure”

Interviewed by RT experts called the nuclear deal one of the key documents that ensure a balance of power in the Middle East. In their opinion, the destruction of the JCPOA is fraught with an increase in military-political tension in the region and may lead to armed conflict. At the same time, the United States is fully responsible for the escalation of violence, political scientists are sure.

“The crisis that we are witnessing is a direct consequence of the US rupture of the JCPOA in 2018 and the assassination of Suleimani. Iran had no choice but to announce the complete withdrawal from the transaction, ”Irina Fedorova, a senior researcher at the Center for the Study of the Near and Middle East at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated in an interview with RT.

In the near future, as an analyst expects, Iran will increase the number of centrifuges to produce more enriched uranium. Nevertheless, the republic’s nuclear program will continue to be controlled by the IAEA. According to Fedorova, this indicates Tehran’s readiness to return to its obligations under the JCPOA, but on conditions acceptable to it.

It is worth noting that on January 6, Trump's senior adviser Kellianne Conway told reporters that the US president was open to negotiations on a review of the JCPOA. From Washington’s point of view, a ban on the development of the Iranian missile program should be included in the text of the new deal. Tehran must also commit itself to ending "hostile activities" in the Middle East.

“Americans put forward unacceptable and humiliating conditions. The murder of Suleymani is nothing more than a terrorist act. In fact, the US is pushing Tehran to create nuclear weapons. However, this event will cause a very severe chain reaction - Turkey and Saudi Arabia have already announced their intention to acquire an atomic arsenal in response to Iranian developments, ”Fedorova reminded.

In a conversation with RT, professor at Moscow State University, an expert on the Middle East, Alexander Vavilov, noted that in this situation, Iran "feels cheated." He called the JCPOA a major achievement in world diplomacy, which is being destroyed by "ill-conceived US actions."

  • Iranian ballistic missile test
  • Reuters
  • © Fars News / Ali Shayegan

Vavilov fears that the United States could provoke Iran into striking US military facilities in the region. According to him, in the reach zone of the army of the Islamic Republic are more than 30 US military bases. However, missile launches in the direction of American targets are possible only as a mirror response to direct aggression, the analyst is sure.

“I hope that the Americans still will not cross the red line, and a large-scale war will not begin. It is understood that the United States is raising rates to force Iran to agree to a review of the deal in their favor. However, Washington’s policy indicates that under any scenario, it will continue to exert military pressure on Tehran, ”Vavilov predicts.