US sanctions violate its obligations to JCPOA: Iranian committee

 A handout picture provided by the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on July 19, 2017 shows him chairing a cabinet meeting in Tehran. (Photo by AFP)

A committee chaired by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said that the US’ sanctions directly violate its obligations to the JCPOA.

On Monday, Iran’s committee for monitoring the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) also stressed the importance of an intelligent, appropriate, and powerful response to the recent US sanctions imposed on Tehran.

The members of the committee noted that the sanctions are in specific violation of articles 26, 28 and 29 of the historic deal.   

During the meeting, several decisions were also made over reactions towards Washington’s provocative measures, which will duly handed over to the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

On Thursday, the US Senate voted nearly unanimously to impose new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea

The Senate backed the measure by a margin of 98-2 with strong support from President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans as well as Democrats. The bill will now be sent to the White House for the US president to sign into law or veto.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia - plus Germany signed the JCPOA on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

Under the agreement, limits were put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all nuclear-related bans against the Islamic Republic.

The UN Security Council later unanimously endorsed a resolution that effectively turned the JCPOA into international law.