Iran may review cooperation with UN agency over nuclear deal

Tehran — Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani said Sunday the country would review its cooperation with the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency if France, Germany and UK use the dispute resolution mechanism in Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal.

The three European countries last week triggered a dispute resolution mechanism in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action due to Tehran's intention to remove uranium enrichment limits that were part of the 2015 pact. Triggering the dispute resolution mechanism could lead to the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran by the European countries, adding to sanctions already imposed by the US.

"We explicitly announce that if Europe behaves unfairly in using the Article 37 of the nuclear agreement for any reason, then the Islamic Republic will make a serious decision regarding cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency," the speaker said, according to state-run TV.

Iran last year started to curtail its commitments to the 2015 deal that limited its nuclear ambitions after the US withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sanctions on Tehran in November 2018.

The sanctions have devastated the country's oil industry, with crude production falling by about 30% to 2.12 million b/d in December since the US sanctions were reimposed in November 2018, according to the latest S&P Global Platts OPEC survey.

President Donald Trump has taken a hardline approach against Iran and tensions between the two countries intensified in January when the US killed a top Iranian commander in Baghdad for his role in attacks on US interests and personnel in Iraq. That killing prompted retaliatory attacks from Iran on US troops in Iraq.

European countries have been less aggressive toward Iran, saying the dispute resolution mechanism is not meant to raise pressure on Tehran but only to keep Iran's commitment with JCPOA.