Save
the Iran nuclear deal
We,
the undersigned, thank you for your speech on 8th May 2018, pledging
the European Union’s intention to remain steadfast in its
commitment to the historic accord concluded between Iran and the
E3/EU+3, the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Too often, politicians have inclined to patronise and admonish, but,
instead, you opted for a “universal language” of respect and
dialogue. You proclaimed that “[t]his deal belongs to each and
every one of us”, and that it enjoins us not to “let
anyone dismantle this agreement”. But despite such salutary
remarks, in the aftermath of the Trump administration’s public
announcement to withdraw from the JCPOA and re-impose sanctions on
Iran, the survival of the agreement is far from assured.
The
majority of Iranians have demonstrated their heartfelt support for
this hard-won diplomatic accord. They have shown their support
through their two-time election of a president promising to initiate
constructive dialogue with the world, patiently awaiting the outcome
of a long and arduous series of negotiations despite the debilitating
impact of sanctions on their everyday lives, celebrating in the
streets of major Iranian cities when the JCPOA was successfully
agreed upon, and finally, announcing their approbation of the
agreement in over 100 cities across the globe in the weeks and months
that followed.
In
your speech you stated that “the European Union will remain
committed to the continued full and effective implementation of the
Nuclear Deal”. We wholeheartedly welcome this commitment, but
as you are fully apprised, it is crucial that Europe is able to
discharge its international obligations and ensure, despite U.S.
sanctions, that Iran and its people enjoy the full economic and
political dividends promised according to not only the letter, but
also the spirit of the JCPOA. The IAEA has repeatedly verified Iran’s
compliance and honouring of its commitments under the agreement, and
this ought to be reciprocated in turn.
In
an increasingly unstable global climate and ever-more precarious “age
of extremes”, it is essential that one of the great diplomatic
successes of the 21st century not find itself carelessly squandered.
By your own estimation it took some twelve years for this agreement
to be reached. If Europe in coordination with its Russian and Chinese
partners prove unable to salvage the JCPOA, the likelihood of further
instability in the region and even war increases exponentially.
While
the JCPOA showed that diplomacy is possible, in view of recent events
and President Trump’s reneging on the accord, the message to the
world shouldn’t be that peace is inevitably transient and
short-lived. For every one of us who is committed to fostering peace
through reasonable dialogue and mutual understanding, preserving the
integrity and viability of the JCPOA is of inestimable importance.
Trust in the European Union, UN Security Council and wider
international community is at stake, as well as their credibility to
tackle many of the enormous challenges which lie ahead in the years
to come.
The
Iranian people backed peace and diplomacy. Now it is the
responsibility of the international community to demonstrate that
they made the right decision and that the promises that were made
will be carried out and effectively realised. Failure is not an
option. The alternative path is simply too costly, not only for the
present generation, but for posterity as well.
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