French Macron acknowledges ineffectiveness of EU actions to save JCPOA

In a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart on Saturday evening, a day before Iran set to announce more reductions to its JCPOA commitments on Sunday, the President of France Emmanuel Macron told President Hassan Rouhani that “the European Union wants to preserve the JCPOA and has spared no efforts in line with that goal.”

Meanwhile, President Macron admitted that the Europe’s actions to make up for Iran’s losses after the US withdrawal from the JCPOA have not been successful and effective, promising again that the EU will spare no efforts to compensate for the US sanctions.

He also described the end of the JCPOA as suggesting a collective failure and a regrettable action, declaring that “France is ready to double its efforts, especially in the direction of Iran’s demand that is a halt to the economic war.”

President Rouhani, for his part, warned that “the continuation of this economic war can lead to other threats in the region and the world.”

Rouhani said that Iran’s recent decision to reduce JCPOA commitments have been completely in accordance with the JCPOA, calling on the EU to live up to their commitments under international agreements and UN resolutions to save the nuclear deal.

Referring to his French counterpart’s offer, the Iranian president said “a halt to all sanctions could be a preliminary move between Iran and the P5 + 1.”

He said that Iran has preserved the deal despite all US pressures and sanctions over the past 14 months within the framework of its ‘strategic patience.’