Germany Unlikely To Play Key Role In Iran Talks If US Returns To JCPOA Under Biden - AfD

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2020) Germany will not play an important part in the nuclear talks with Iran if the United States recommits to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under projected president-elect Joe Biden, Armin-Paulus Hampel, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party spokesman in the German lower house's committee on foreign affairs, told Sputnik in an interview.

Earlier in the day, an AfD delegation visited Moscow and held a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. When speaking to Sputnik, the party official lamented that French President Macron took the lead in negotiations with Tehran.

"And if Joe Biden government should return to the JCPOA, to the treaty with Iran, yes, I appreciate each and every step ... I expect that Germany, unfortunately, will not play an important role, as it was before, when it comes to negotiations with Iran," Hampel said.

Hampel added that while he thought that the dialogue with Tehran has to be maintained, Trump was right in certain aspects.

"In a certain way, president Trump was not wrong in saying we have to deal with Iran concerning the nuclear perspective, but you have completely put out or neglected the conventional rocket system of Iran, which are pointed to Israel and the neighborhood. In this case, from my point of view, mr. Trump was right," the politician said.

In 2015, Iran signed the JCPOA with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and the European Union. It required Iran to scale back its nuclear program and severely downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the arms embargo five years after the deal's adoption. In 2018, the United States abandoned its conciliatory stance on Iran, withdrawing from the JCPOA and implementing hard-line policies against Tehran.