Zarif: the complete cancellation of the nuclear agreement 'very dangerous' for Iran

Tehran's chief of diplomacy re-launches efforts to save the JCPOA after the unilateral withdrawal of the United States. The government does not want to collapse a system built with difficulty, The flight of European companies in fear of  US retaliation. The Iranian currency falls on the dollar.


Teheran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The global collapse of the Iranian nuclear agreement (Jcpoa) ​​following the US decision to cancel it and introduce the harshest sanctions in history against Tehran would be "very dangerous" for the Islamic Republic.

This was underscored by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who in recent weeks has intensified diplomatic efforts with the European Union (EU), China in Russia to save the pact. "The complete failure of the JCPOA would be very dangerous for us," Tehran's chief of diplomacy said yesterday, during a meeting with members of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce. He added that the government "certainly does not intend" to bring down the whole system built with difficulty in recent years.

Recently, some European companies have decided to leave the country, fearing retaliation by the US government that threatens to target anyone who trades with Teheran, even foreign governments and industries. In July, President Hassan Rouhani should visit Switzerland and Austria in the context of Iran's efforts to save what remains of the agreement.

At the same time, the authorities have warned that they are ready to resume uranium enrichment by up to 20% per day if the JCPOA is completely erased. A threshold that however falls within the limits of civilian use, as reiterated by the authorities that the nuclear program has peaceful purposes; for Israel (and United States) it is instead aimed at the production of the atomic bomb.

In the meantime, the rial has reached a historical low against the dollar on the black market; the collapse of the local currency is linked to fears over the consequences of Washington's new economic and trade sanctions. Yesterday, the US currency reached 87 thousand rials against 75 thousand on 21 June, the last day of trading before the weekend. The Iranian currency has been steadily declining for months, also due to a weak economy, the financial difficulties of local banks and a strong demand for cash from citizens. The collapse triggered a wave of protests over rising consumer prices and basic necessities.