Tehran, Oct 2, IRNA � Vice-President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi underlined that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was Iran�s upper-hand in the field of diplomacy.


�The resistance and standing up of the Iranian nation against pressures and foreign threats resulted in JCPOA�s success,� Salehi said on Sunday, addressing a conference in Tehran.

He also pointed to the guidelines of Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and supports by President Hassan Rouhani as other important factors resulting in the success of the JCPOA.

The JCPOA or the nuclear accord was signed between Iran and the six major world powers (Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany) in July 2015.

The deal, which took effect in January, calls for an end to decades of economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

However, months after the lifting of anti-Iran bans on paper, major foreign banks are wary of doing business with Iran, fearing they would violate restrictions on US banks and face penalties.

Tehran has criticized Washington and its allies for refusing to translate their words into action and assure the banks that they would not be punished for resuming ties with Iran.

By IRNA