Iran's FM slams Europe 'failure' to honor nuke commitment

TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday criticized the Europeans "failure" to live up to their commitments under the Iranian 2015 landmark nuclear deal, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"Britain, France and Germany, three parties to the Iranian deal, claim that Europe has kept its obligations under JCPOA, however, in reality, they have not imported Iran's oil and have not facilitated Iran's international banking actions," Zarif tweeted.

"Exodus of European firms in Iran and failure to even sell 'exempted' food and medicine to Iran can be added to their shortcomings," he added.

He slammed the European states for "submitting" to the US pressures vis-a-vis the Islamic republic.

On Tuesday, the Europeans said that they have taken the step in response as Tehran has backed off nuclear commitments over the past months.

Iran, however, has said that its withdrawal from practical commitments under the JCPOA is a reaction to the US exit from the deal in May 2018 and the subsequent sanctions, and it is also a response to the Europe's sluggishness in facilitating Iran's banking transactions and its oil exports.