JCPOA most comprehensive agreement in non-proliferation history

Speaking in an interview with American TV program 'Democracy Now', Mousavian said: 'I think President Trump made a big mistake to depart from the nuclear deal.'

He added: 'Practically, it was President Trump who left the negotiation table because Iran and the big powers, the P5+1, they were negotiating at the level of foreign ministers and deputy ministers for years.'

'During even President Obama, you remember John Kerry and the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, if not every day, they were weekly in touch negotiating, meeting, emailing,' he noted.

Mousavian continued by raising three facts supporting what he mentioned above:

First when President Trump left the deal, practically he left the negotiation table. Therefore, he should be blamed for leaving the negotiation, not the Iranian side. And he is welcomed back again to the forum of P5+1 to return to the nuclear deal, to open dialogue and negotiation with Iran and with the other world powers if there is any other issue beyond the nuclear to negotiate. This is number one.

Second, there is well-known by many nuclear scientists worldwide, even International Atomic Energy Agency, saying that the Iranian nuclear deal was and is the most comprehensive agreement during the history of nonproliferation. And Iran has accepted commitment for transparency measures and limitations on the nuclear program, which no other member of NPT, Non-Proliferation Treaty, has ever accepted. Therefore, Iran has accepted the maximum level of transparency based on the reports of the IAEA and the United Nations.'

'Third, the IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the sole agency to judge about the nuclear program of the members, for two years in 14 reports, has confirmed Iran has fully complied with the nuclear deal, therefore, there has been zero failure on the Iranian side.'

Mousavian went on to say: 'The deal was approved by the United Nations Security Council in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.'

'The U.S. violated. It was the U.S. who violated the deal, departed, and now, and worse, which is really an unprecedented phenomena during the history of international relations and United Nation, is the fact that the United States is punishing the other member of United Nations for complying with the resolution 2231 to supporting implementing the Iran Nuclear Deal,' he reiterated.

'We have never had a UN Security Council member to punish the other members just because they are implementing the deal,' ex-Iranian diplomat said.

'Therefore the U.S. is discrediting the highest level of international body on security and political, which is the United Nations Security Council,' he noted.

In response to another question whether Iran's ultimatum to European parties regarding start of enrichment, Mousavian said: 'From the day one, President Trump has started to impose new sanctions.'

He added: 'Based on JCPOA, the U.S. and the EU, they are committed not only to reintroduce the nuclear-related sanctions, but not to reimpose new sanctions.'

'Therefore, the U.S. has violated and is punishing the other members for implementing the deal. Iran has been patient for two years, implementing the deal with zero benefit.'

He stressed 'now Iran has decided on two measures, which is not a break of nuclear deal, because the U.S. latest sanctions prevented the export of excessive amount of enriched uranium'.

'Based on the nuclear deal, Iran has accepted always to keep 300 kilogram of enriched uranium and export the excessive amount to Russia, and 130 tons of heavy water and to export the excessive amount to Oman.'

'Now it is the U.S. has put sanctions on Iran not to export the heavy water, the excessive amounts to Oman, and not to export excessive amount of enrichment to Russia,' Mousavian said, adding, 'Therefore, Iran has no other option. Iran cannot practically export, therefore Iran would be forced to have excessive amount, therefore it is not a violation by the Iranian side. Iran has been forced by the U.S. not to export.'

Underling Iran ultimatum to European parties, he said: 'However, Iran has warned the other P5+1 members that, 'I have been waiting for two years for you. You have done zero. If you cannot implement the deal, I’m not going to implement the deal forever unilaterally.''

'This is an international agreement. This is multilateral agreement. If the U.S. cannot comply, you should comply. If none of you are going to comply, I’m going to gradually depart from the deal.” That’s why now Europe, Russia, China, India, every country is blaming the U.S., not Iran.'

For much of the interview, Mousavian referred to the recent explosions in the oil tankers in Persian Gulf, saying: 'This is exactly what I have said for many months. How they would drag President Trump to a war.'

'This would be such incidents in the region. It is not new. I have said for many months, in many articles and interviews, malicious attempts by conspirators, conspiracy attempts in order to blame either to attack the U.S. facilities in the region or to kill some American soldiers in the region or to attack American allies, facilities in the region,' he added.

He reiterated: 'You just read last week some articles by Israeli papers saying that we have information that Iran is going to attack oil infrastructure of American allies in the region.

This is the scenario. 'This is the conspiracy plan which they want to leave no option for President Trump unless to attack Iran.'

Hossein Mousavian is Middle East Security and Nuclear Policy Specialist at Princeton University and a former spokesman for Iran's nuclear negotiators.

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