TEHRAN — All of Iran’s deviations from the 2015 nuclear pact resulted from the provocative maximum pressure policy of the United States, says Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to the Vienna-based international organizations.

“All Iran’s deviations from #JCPOA resulted from provocative maximum pressure policy of US,” Ulyanov tweeted on Friday.

“During the first year after US withdrawal Tehran fully complied with its commitments under the deal, but in May 2019 US compelled Iran to respond to attempts to introduce oil embargo,” he added.

The Russian envoy said in another tweet that “One UNSC Member State (US?) recognising US as a JCPOA participant is not enough.”

He was responding to a tweet by Omri Ceren, national security adviser to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who opined that there is at least one UNSC member who recognizes the U.S. as a JCPOA participant. “And, conveniently one is enough,” Ceren argued.

“In accordance with UNSC rules of procedure US needs to get support of 9 Members, as a minimum. Forget about snap back,” Ulyanov responded, adding, “Don’t compromise your country.”

U.S. President Donald Trump quit the multilateral nuclear deal in May 2018 and introduced the harshest ever sanctions on Iran as part of his administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.

The U.S. move was in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the JCPOA.

Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for the termination of economic and financial sanctions.

In May 2019, exactly one year after the U.S. unilaterally quit the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran, Tehran began to gradually reduce its commitments under the JCPOA to both retaliate for Washington’s departure and Europeans’ failure to honor their commitments.

On January 5, Iran took a fifth and last step in reducing its commitments and said it would no longer observe any operational limitations on its nuclear industry, whether concerning the capacity and level of uranium enrichment, the volume of stockpiled uranium or research and development. However, Iran has insisted if the Europeans honor their obligations it will immediately reverse its decisions.

Iran’s move is in line with paragraph 36 of the JCPOA.

President Hassan Rouhani said on May 6 that Iran will return to full implementation of the JCPOA if other signatories do the same.

MH/PA