Russia, China, and Iran have jointly called on Western countries to reinstate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), aimed at diplomatically resolving the conflict surrounding Iran's nuclear program. The three nations made this plea in a collective statement issued on the sidelines of the sixth meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors.
"The People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Russian Federation are of the firm belief that it is time for Western nations to demonstrate political resolve, halt the ongoing cycle of escalation that has persisted for nearly two years, take proactive measures, and revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. This remains entirely feasible," stated the document distributed by the Tasnim news agency.
According to the statement's authors, reviving the JCPOA would address "the vast majority of concerns" regarding Iran's nuclear program, including granting IAEA inspectors comprehensive monitoring capabilities. "There is no doubt that the full implementation of the nuclear deal would serve as a mechanism to reduce tensions. We are confident that it would yield mutually beneficial outcomes for all parties involved," the statement asserted.
Russia, China, and Iran emphasized the continued validity of the JCPOA's provisions requiring Iran to uphold the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities. In this context, they underscored the importance of treating Iran, which is advancing its nuclear industry, on par with other signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, brokered in 2015 by the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, aimed to address the nuclear crisis with Iran. However, in 2018, former US President Donald Trump opted to withdraw from the agreement. President Joe Biden's administration has expressed willingness to re-engage with the JCPOA. Negotiations involving Russia, Britain, China, France, Germany, and Iran have been ongoing in Vienna since April 2021 to reinstate the JCPOA in its original form, but concluded without success in November 2022 after several rounds.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from TASS