TEHRAN – A former Iranian envoy has predicted that the European parties to the nuclear agreement will not do anything special in the 60-day ultimatum to offset U.S. sanctions, Mehr reported on Wednesday.

“I believe that whatever has happened so far will also happen in the next two months … We really should not expect something special from Europe,” said Abolfazl Zohrehvand, who served as Iran’s ambassador to Italy.

Zohrehvand pointed out that some European countries have pinned hope on the post-Trump era, but at the same time they have been compliant with the United States’ policies and will remain so in the future.

He also said that while inflicting a great cost on the country, the experience of “negotiating with the West in recent years was very valuable, because it exposed the true face of the West for those who had hoped for a Western-oriented approach.”

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) announced on May 8 that “the Islamic Republic of Iran upholds its rights under articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA and will stop implementing some parts of its obligation under the JCPOA from today, May 8, 2019, in line with protecting the Iranian people’s security and national interests.”

President Rouhani also gave Europeans 60 days to ensure that Iran’s interests were protected under the agreement, otherwise it is ready to take further steps towards leaving the nuclear deal. 

On Wednesday, Iran announced that it has stopped implementing some parts of its commitments.

MH/PA