Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, during a meeting with the new Swedish ambassador to Iran, Mattias Lentz, on Tuesday, said that both countries should further deepen their partnership even in the face of the US sanctions against Iran, which Sweden considers a violation of international norms
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2019) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, during a meeting with the new Swedish ambassador to Iran, Mattias Lentz, on Tuesday, said that both countries should further deepen their partnership even in the face of the US sanctions against Iran, which Sweden considers a violation of international norms.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that the United States would terminate its sanctions waiver for Iran's Fordow nuclear facility and called on the nation to immediately cease its uranium enrichment activities.
"I hope that we can develop our cooperation and relations despite the US illegal sanctions," the president said, as quoted by Iran's Mehr news agency.
Rouhani also hailed the Swedish government's condemnation of the unilateral sanctions and urged all signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to live up to their obligations.
"Reduction of some of our commitments is within the framework of the deal, and Iran will return to its commitments as soon as the other parties do so," he said, adding that the International Atomic Energy Agency will continue to monitor the county's peaceful nuclear activities.
The Swedish ambassador, in turn, said that Stockholm supported Iran and was ready to cooperate to ease tensions in the region.
The JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed by Iran and the nuclear six the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Russia, France and Germany in 2015. It stipulated that Tehran significantly limit its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related international sanctions.
In May 2018, the US withdrew from the deal and reimposed economic sanctions on Iran. Roughly a year later, Tehran responded by warning that it would steadily abandon its own JCPOA obligations every 60 days unless the other signatories helped facilitate continued oil and other trade with Iran.
It has since been gradually following through on its warnings, and on November 7, Tehran began its fourth stage in the process enriching uranium at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
