World leaders from countries still committed to the Iran nuclear deal are working quickly to salvage the agreement.
Officials from Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran, and Russia met at the United Nations in Vienna on Wednesday to discuss possible resolutions that would save the 2015 agreement from ruin, according to the Associated Press.
The nuclear treaty members are “racing against time to work out a specific solution so as to safeguard” the agreement, said Chinese Ambassador to the U.N. Wang Qun.
President Trump announced in 2018 that the United States would unilaterally leave the agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama, saying that the deal would not prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon. The U.S. reestablished economic sanctions that have damaged Iran’s economy.
“Serious concerns were expressed regarding the implementation of Iran’s nuclear commitments under the agreement,” European Union Minister for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said in a statement after the Wednesday meeting. “Participants also acknowledged that the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions did not allow Iran to reap the full benefits arising from sanctions-lifting.”
On Jan. 14, Britain, France, and Germany triggered the deal’s dispute mechanism to amend the deal and open up economic opportunities for Iran in exchange for a renewed pledge from Tehran to keep uranium enrichment to a minimum. If negotiations fail, the deal will dissolve, and more economic sanctions will be placed on Iran.
Britain, France, and Germany sought a resolution after Tehran announced in early January that it would no longer honor its commitment against making weapons-grade nuclear material.
“I am emphasizing that if the Europeans make a mistake and violate the deal, they will be responsible for the consequences of their actions,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said at the time.
