China calls for dialogue, restraint to prevent situation from spiralling out of control
On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared that the country would stop complying with some parts of the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with Britain, China, the United States, France, Germany and Russia a year after the US unilaterally left the accord.Tehran also threatened to enrich its uranium stockpile closer to weapons-grade levels in 60 days if world powers fail to negotiate new terms for the JCPOA.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom have said in a joint statement that they will remain totally committed to maintaining and fully implementing the Iranian nuclear deal, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The three nations have expressed concerns about Tehran's earlier decision to halt some of its commitments under the deal.
They have called on Tehran to continue the full implementation of its obligations under the nuclear accord.
They have underlined their commitment to pursue efforts to ensure legitimate trade with Iran, including through INSTEX, the EU mechanism for bilateral transactions with Iran, bypassing US sanctions.
The three European nations have called on parties outside the nuclear accord not to create obstacles for its signatories in fulfilling their obligations.
On 8 May 2018, Trump announced his decision to leave the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal and reinstate wide-ranging sanctions on Tehran, including secondary sanctions against companies and financial institutions of countries that do business with the Islamic Republic.
Washington has also vowed to drive Iran's oil exports down to zero and demanded that others countries cease any such purchases.
To this extent China called on all parties involved in the Iran nuclear deal to increase dialogue and exercise restrained in order to prevent the situation from escalating further while blaming the United States for the heightened tensions.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang commended Iran for its "faithful implementation" of the deal in a regular daily briefing Wednesday while firmly condemning the United States for its "long-arm jurisdiction" against Iran, including its April 25 cancellation of waivers allowing counties including Iraq, Turkey India, China and Japan to purchase Iranian oil without violating U.S sanctions.
"We regret that the U.S. moves have heightened tensions surrounding the Iranian nuclear issue," he said.
He said the deal plays a vital role in the non-proliferation nuclear weapons as well as establishing peace and stability in the Middle East, saying all parties have a shared responsibility in keeping the deal alive.
"We call on relevant sides to exercise restraint and step up dialogue to prevent a spiral of escalation of tensions," Geng said. "China will maintain communication with all parties concerned and continue to work toward upholding and implementing the agreement."
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