Prospects vague for Iran deal renewal in near future - Duma
MOSCOW. Jan 14 (Interfax) - The launch by Germany, France, and Britain of a mechanism for the settlement of disputes in the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program is a political response to the withdrawal of the United States and Iran from the nuclear deal, first deputy head of the State Duma foreign affairs committee Dmitry Novikov said.
"The stylistics of these European countries are of a ritual nature; it's related to the political evaluations of these or other steps already undertaken by the U.S., which ruined the deal using Iran, who could not remain indifferent," Novikov told Interfax on Tuesday.
"In diplomacy, there is a mirror principle, and in principle Iran could not silently swallow U.S. actions that are clearly weakening Iran's military, geopolitical, and strategic security, prompting it to take such steps [quitting the JCPOA]," he said.
"For their part, the Europeans also faced a choice: either to honestly evaluate the situation and name the source of the problem, the source of the problem being the decision made by Washington, or to side with the U.S. out of Euro-Atlantic solidarity and their obligations as allies," Novikov said.
"Despite indignation at U.S. behavior in European capitals, the interests of Euro-Atlantic solidarity prevailed, which explains the position which today is being expressed in several European capitals," he said.
"Not all bridges have been burned, but the prospects of [Iran's nuclear program] being settled any time soon look quite vague," Novikov said.
On Tuesday, it emerged that Germany, France, and Britain issued a joint statement announcing the launch of a mechanism for the settlement of disputes in the framework of the JCPOA.