Russia warns Europe’s disputing of Iran nuclear deal risks ‘new escalation’

MOSCOW — Russia condemns the EU move to put the Iran nuclear deal in dispute, warning it risked causing a “new escalation.”

“We do not rule out that the thoughtless actions of the Europeans could lead to a new escalation around the Iranian nuclear accord,” the foreign ministry says in a statement.

The ministry adds that Moscow sees “no reason for such a move.”

“The mechanism to resolve differences was created for totally different ends,” the ministry addd.

“The reasons for the difficulty of implementing the accord were broadly known and not linked to Iran,” but to the unilateral US withdrawal from the accord in 2018 which led to new sanctions being imposed on Tehran, in Moscow’s view.

The ministry addd that Iran’s nuclear program “remains under the constant control of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).” It says that level of oversight was “unprecedented” in its scope.

“Despite all the challenges the Iranian nuclear accord has not lost its relevance,” the ministry concludes.

Britain, France and Germany earlier today launched a dispute mechanism charging Iran with failing to observe the terms of the 2015 deal curtailing its nuclear program.

The move comes as tensions soar between the West and Iran following the killing of top commander Qassem Soleimani in a US strike, and the admission by Tehran days later that it had accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner

— AFP