France, Germany, UK question Iran’s willingness to reach nuclear deal

Germany, France and the United Kingdom have issued a joint statement on Saturday expressing their “serious doubts” about Iran’s intention to reach a nuclear deal after 18 months of negotiations.

“In view of Iran’s failure to close a deal on the table we will consult with our international partners on how best to deal with the continuing Iranian nuclear escalation,” they said.

In particular they question the “new changes that have put us at the limit of our flexibility” regarding Tehran’s partial compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Unfortunately Iran chooses not to take advantage of this critical diplomatic opportunity. Instead esop, Iran continues the escalation of its nuclear program far beyond what can be justified for civilian purposes,” the statement said.

In response, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani criticized the “lack of constructive spirit” in this joint document, which he considers “the opposite of a goodwill gesture.”

On the other hand, Kanaani suggested that these countries “play a more active role” in resolving the remaining issues to reach an agreement “instead of destroying the diplomatic trend”.

Thus, he has compared this position to that of the “Zionist regime” of Israel to “ruin the negotiations” and warned of the “consequences.”