A guarantee for peace and security

In 2015, China, Germany, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), a guarantee for peace and security in the Middle East. After years of persistent negotiations, the parties were able to resolve the dangerous conflict regarding the Iranian nuclear programme through these channels.

Although the United States has withdrawn from the agreement, the implementation of the JCPoA has so far been a success: the plan is an important element of the global non proliferation architecture and helps promote security in the region. Germany and the other contracting parties are working to uphold the agreement – which also requires Iran to comply fully with the obligations that have been set down.

Escalation of the situation

Recently, the situation in Iran escalated again: in May, the Iranian Government announced that it would gradually cease to comply with individual obligations in the agreement. And we all know that this happened in response to the decision by the United States not to extend exemptions for oil exports and non proliferation projects, as Foreign Minister Maas stated recently in the German Bundestag.

Foreign Minister Maas in Tehran

Against this backdrop, Maas travelled to Tehran. Following intensive talks in Jordan, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, in Iran Maas met his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. Maas shared impressions from his trip with his colleague and underscored Germany’s position: Germany and the other parties support the preservation of the JCPoA as a safeguard for greater stability and security in the region.

Maas also met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss the current situation. Here, too, his message was clear: the aim must be to prevent the situation from escalating further and to act level-headedly in working towards de escalation.