Video: Putin slams US JCPOA exit, defends Iran’s compliance
Russian President, Vladimir Putin
Abdullateef Fowewe
Russian President, Vladimir Putin has criticised the United States’ 2018 withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), calling European demands on Iran to uphold the deal “nonsense” and questioning why Tehran should comply after the agreement’s collapse.
In a recent statement, Putin emphasised Iran’s full adherence to the nuclear accord before the US exit.
“Iran has fulfilled all its commitments to the agreement. All of them. It is impossible for Iran to make any claims against it. That’s it. No claims can be made against Iran,” he said.
He lambasted the one-sided US decision under President Donald Trump, noting that Europeans condemned the withdrawal yet insisted Iran continue its obligations.
“Iran did not withdraw from the agreement. The United States withdrew. What the hell are you talking about?” Putin noted, while apologising for his blunt language.
The comments echo IAEA reports from 2016 to 2018, which repeatedly verified Iran’s compliance with JCPOA nuclear limits on uranium enrichment and stockpiles.
Following the US exit and reimposed sanctions, Iran began exceeding those caps in retaliation.
Putin’s remarks come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to revive the deal, stalled since indirect US-Iran talks faltered in 2022.
