US exit from JCPOA detrimental to Mideast stability: Lebanon's Aoun

Rasa - Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun says the United States' move to withdraw from a nuclear agreement Iran signed with the P5+1 group of countries in 2015 will have negative impacts on stability in the Middle East.

News ID: 438686

Date: 16 July 2018 - 22:48

RNA - Aoun made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister's Special Assistant for Political Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari and his accompanying delegation in Beirut on Monday.

He added that the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), plays a leading role in maintaining regional stability, helps make the Middle East a region free of weapons of mass destruction.

He welcomed the commitment of other signatories to the JCPOA to continue with the deal after the US pullout.

The Lebanese president also took to his Twitter account and said, "The unilateral US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement will have negative repercussions for security and stability in the region."

US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement and also said that he planned to reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

Since the US president pulled Washington out of the historic nuclear deal, European countries have been scrambling to ensure that Iran gets enough economic benefits to persuade it to stay in the deal. The remaining parties have vowed to stay in the accord.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Vienna on July 6 that all the remaining signatories to the landmark nuclear agreement have political will to stand up to the United States' move to withdraw from the deal.

Zarif pointed to his "very serious and constructive" talks with the remaining parties of the nuclear deal and said, "I believe that there is political will to continue work and save this agreement but we must see what will happen to this issue in practice."

The Iranian foreign minister said on Monday the Islamic Republic has lodged a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the United States' "unlawful" move to re-impose "unilateral" sanctions against Tehran.

"Today Iran filed a complaint [with] @CIJ_ICJ to hold US accountable for its unlawful re-imposition of unilateral sanctions," Zarif said in a post on his official Twitter account.

Iran president's message submitted to Aoun

During the meeting, Jaberi Ansari submitted Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's message to his Lebanese counterpart.

In his message, Rouhani warned against the adverse effects of the US withdrawal from the historic deal. He also explained about Iran's efforts to end the Syrian crisis through political approaches.

The Iranian president further stressed the importance of strengthening Tehran-Beirut cooperation in all fields.

Jaberi Ansari's meeting with Lebanese FM

The Iranian official also held talks with Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil about the settlement of the Syrian crisis and the safe return of Syrians to their homeland.

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