Zarif: Nuclear Deal Not Bilateral Agreement, UNSC Credibility at Stake
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said credibility of the United Nations Security Council is at stake after US President Donald Trump decertified Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal.
In an interview with CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer in Tehran, Zarif stressed that the nuclear deal is not a bilateral one between Iran and US but an agreement signed by six major world powers and ratified by the United Nations.
Zarif underlined that five other countries besides the US had signed the Iranian nuclear deal, and no matter what the White House said or did, all five will remain firmly committed to it.
“This is not a bilateral treaty between Iran and the United States. So whatever domestic politicking he wants to do, that’s his business,” Iran’s top diplomat said.
“The United States is a permanent member of the Security Council. And if it’s not going to uphold a resolution, that not only it voted for but it sponsored, then the credibility of the institution that the United States considers to be very important would be at stake.”
Lambasting Trump for decertifying Iran’s adherence to JCPOA, he said that nobody else will trust any US administration to engage in any long-term negotiation.
“The length of any commitment, the duration of any commitment from now on with any US administration would be the reminder of the term of that president.”
Asked whether he was thinking of any country in particular regarding this issue, he said: “No, I’m thinking of the entire international community.”
Responding to Palmer’s question “Not North Korea?”, he said: “Well, including North Korea. But I believe (?) the entire international community.”
“You see, this administration is withdrawing from everything. Somebody called it withdrawal doctrine for this administration. It’s withdrawing from NAFTA. It’s withdrawing from Trans Pacific Partnership. It’s withdrawing from UNESCO. It’s withdrawing from everything,” the top Iranian diplomat said.
