The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday expressed concern on the United States' (US) withdrawal from the so-called Iran deal, saying that the decision will affect the world community's efforts to solve the "conflict" with Iran.
In a media statement, the FO said that the US's withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would weaken the dialogue process that was meant to find a solution to the conflict.
Still, Pakistan hopes that the remaining five signatories — Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia — will work out a way to ensure that the deal is upheld, the FO said.
The FO also reiterated its support for the Iran deal — which had limited Iran’s nuclear programme so that the latter could not produce a bomb, in return for the lifting of most of the US and international sanctions against it.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump had announced that the country was withdrawing from the 2015 deal and will impose “the highest level” of economic sanctions on Tehran in order to stop Iran's so-called efforts to make nuclear weapons.
Last week, Britain, France and Germany had urged the Trump administration not to revoke the deal, arguing that the agreement was the best way of stopping Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
President Trump ignored the advice.
Reacting to Trump’s announcement, President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran would remain committed to the multinational nuclear deal.
“If we achieve the deal’s goals in cooperation with other members of the deal, it will remain in place... By exiting the deal, America has officially undermined its commitment to an international treaty,” Rouhani said in a televised speech. “I have instructed the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation to take the necessary measures for future actions so that if necessary we can resume industrial enrichment without limit,” he said in an address to the nation.
“We will wait several weeks before applying this decision. We will speak with our friends and allies, the other members of the nuclear agreement,” he said. “I have ordered the foreign ministry to negotiate with the European countries, China and Russia in coming weeks. If at the end of this short period we conclude that we can fully benefit from the JCPOA with the cooperation of all countries, the deal would remain,” he added.
