China Says Does Not Support Any Renegotiation of JCPOA

“Iran has made it explicitly clear that once the US returns to the JCPOA and lifts all the sanctions they are ready to reverse all the steps they have taken, to reduce their commitment,” Fu Cong told CGTN.

“I think that is a major indication on the part of Iran and we have no reason to doubt that, because before the US withdrew from the agreement Iran was exemplary in its implementation of the agreement.”

During the recent interview, Fu said the key to unlocking the current situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear issue is the US return to the JCPOA commitments.

“We believe that the key to breaking this stalemate is for the U.S to return to the JCPOA,” he remarked.

“Of course, by that we mean that the US comes back to its commitments under the JCPOA and lifts all the sanctions related to the JCPOA. Both on Iran and third-party entities and individuals.”

“And, of course, on that basis, Iran should also come back to full compliance with the JCPOA. That's our view. And I would say that is a unanimous view of all the participants to the JCPOA,” he added.

Iranian officials have repeatedly voiced opposition to any renegotiations on the JCPOA, saying that the deal had once been negotiated and is no longer renegotiable.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that the JCPOA is not renegotiable.

“There is one JCPOA that has been negotiated and agreed — either everyone commits to it or they don't,” the president said.

Rouhani also ruled out negotiations on Iran’s missile program and its influence in the region, saying that the Americans had tried to add the missile issue to the JCPOA but Iran rejected the issue.

“The Americans were trying for months to add the missile issue (to the nuclear talks) and this was rejected. Trump was uninformed and did not know about the matter, but Mr. Biden is well aware of the details of the deal,” the Iranian president said, adding, “I have not heard Biden say that we have to reach another agreement in order to return to the nuclear deal, that is what Trump says.”

Back in November, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the JCPOA is non-renegotiable, though Iran is ready to negotiate the US return to the nuclear deal.

“The US is still a UN member,” Zarif said in a tweet, adding, “If it meets its obligations as such under UNSCR 2231, we will fulfill ours under the #JCPOA. If the US then seeks to re-join the JCPOA, we're ready to negotiate terms for it to regain its 'JCPOA Participant' status.”

Tasnim