Iran told a German envoy seeking to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal that its patience was over, the Fars news agency reported on Thursday.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during the meeting with Jens Ploetner, a political director in the German Foreign Ministry, urged the treaty’s remaining signatories to fulfill their commitments after the U.S. pulled out.
A German diplomatic source told Reuters that talks with other Iranian official were also planned.
The semi-official Fars news agency reported that Araghchi relayed Iran’s impatience during the talks.
Britain, France and Germany, which signed the 2015 deal along with the U.S., China and Russia, are determined to show they can compensate for 2018’s U.S. withdrawal from the deal.
They are determined to protect trade and still dissuade Tehran from quitting an accord designed to prevent it developing a nuclear bomb.
However, Iran’s decision earlier this month to backtrack from some commitments in response to U.S. measures to cripple its economy threatens to unravel the deal.
Meanwhile Tehran has agreed to curb on its uranium enrichment programme in exchange for the removal of most international sanctions.
“At the centre of the political director’s visit is the preservation of the Vienna nuclear accord with Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“After Iran’s announcement to partly suspend its commitments under the JCPOA, there is a window of opportunity for diplomacy to persuade Iran to continue to fully comply with the JCPOA,’’ the German diplomatic source told Reuters.
Ploetner however knew Araghchi, from the negotiations, to clinch the JCPOA
Tensions have soared between Iran and the U.S. since Washington sent more military forces to the Middle East, including an aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers and Patriot missiles.
On Wednesday, U.S. officials said the Defence Department was considering a U.S. military request to send about 5,000 additional troops to the Middle East.
In spite of such pressure, Keyvan Khosravi, a spokesman for Iran’s Supreme National Security Council reiterated that there would be no negotiations with Washington.
He said officials from several countries had visited Iran recently, “mostly representing the U.S.”, however that Tehran’s message to them was firm.
“Without exception, the message of the power and resistance of the Iranian nation was conveyed to them,” he said.
Fars earlier quoted a senior commander of the powerful Revolutionary Guards as saying the U.S.-Iranian standoff was a “clash of wills” and any enemy “adventurism” would meet a crushing response.
The German diplomatic source added: “The situation in the Persian Gulf and the region, and the situation around the Vienna nuclear accord are extremely serious.
There is a real risk of escalation. In this situation, dialogue is very important.”
