<article><p><i>Adds comments from EU in paragraphs 5-6; 8-9</i></p><p class="lead">Iran has reiterated that it will not reverse any of the actions taken to scale down its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal until its European partners begin to take "effective steps" towards delivering on their own commitments.</p><p>Tehran <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/1935518">last week</a> confirmed it had abandoned two of its commitments under Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in protest at the US leaving the deal last year.</p><p>"Iran's expectation from its European partners in the JCPOA is for them to take effective decisions and steps towards the full implementation of the deal," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said. "This should not be a one-way road."</p><p>Mousavi's comments came in response to a strongly-worded joint statement issued by Iran's three European partners in the deal — the UK, France and Germany — for Tehran to reconsider its decision to scale back its commitments under the deal, to support efforts to de-escalate tensions and to resume dialogue between all parties.</p><p>Today, the EU said none of the JCPOA signatories have yet signalled their intention to formally start the agreement's dispute mechanism over "significant non-compliance".</p><p>"All the steps are reversible," said EU foreign affairs high representative Federica Mogherini. The UN nuclear watchdog the IAEA on 8 July confirmed Iran had enriched uranium beyond the 3.67pc limit dictated by the 2015 nuclear agreement and increased its stockpile of enriched uranium to more than the 300kg allowed.</p><p>Iran has repeatedly complained about what it perceives as European inaction to provide support after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal in May 2018, particularly regarding Tehran's inability to sell its oil freely because of the reimposition of US sanctions.</p><p>The EU today said its Instex special-purpose vehicle, established to allow Iran to purchase of medicine and food, could yet permit the purchase of Iranian crude.</p><p>"The issue of whether Instex will deal with oil or not is a discussion that is ongoing among the shareholders," said Mogherini. Instex was activated last month. The US has said it had no objection to it being used for humanitarian trade, but Washington is unlikely to acquiesce to its use as a mechanism for Iran to trade crude.</p><p>Iran's crude exports have averaged less than 500,000 b/d in May and June — around half of the near 1mn b/d it managed to export during the last round of US sanctions in 2012-15, and less than a fifth of its exports early last year, before the US pulled out of the JCPOA. </p><p>Iranian President Hassan Rohani warned on 8 May that the country would <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/1898638">gradually stop complying</a> with its commitments within 60 days unless countries still party to the deal delivered on their pledges. That initial 60-day deadline was hit on 7 July.</p></article>
