ISNA - The chairman and a number of members of the Austria-Iran parliamentary friendship group have met with Iran�s deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Seyyed Abbas Araqchi in Tehran.

During the meeting, the most important issues and international developments as well as the relations between the two countries were discussed.

The head of Austria-Iran parliamentary friendship group in the Austrian parliament, Wolfgang Gerstl expressed regret over the recent floods in Iran and conveyed his country�s sympathy.

He also praised Iran�s wise policies regarding the nuclear deal, stating that Austria and the European Union reject the US decision to withdraw from the JCPOA, and are worried about the decline in the value and importance of this agreement.

"This is a fact that Europe needs the JCPOA more than America does; therefore, Austria, along with the European Union, remains committed to supporting the deal," underlined Gerstl.

For his part, Araqchi expressed gratitude for the sympathies of the government and the people of Austria after the recent floods and their dispatch of aid to the flood victims.

Regarding the Iran nuclear deal, Araqchi said, "The JCPOA is an international agreement and the United States has violated the UN Security Council resolution 2231 by withdrawing from it, but unfortunately the Security Council or European countries have failed to give an appropriate response to this illegal action".

Referring to the fact that Iran has fulfilled its commitments under the JCPOA, Araqchi criticized Europe�s policies and actions regarding the nuclear accord, warning that "the patience and tolerance of the Islamic Republic is not indefinite."

"By making a comprehensive assessment of the present conditions and without emotional reactions, we will soon adopt an appropriate response to the unlawful US actions."

Araqchi said, �Iran has so far given enough time and chance to other parties to compensate for the consequences of the US withdrawal from the deal, and now it is time to act�.

"We welcome the political positions of the European Union, but just political support does not help any further to preserve the JCPOA. The JCPOA is not an economic agreement and it is of security nature. If it matters to Europe, then it should also pay the costs to maintain it," he noted.

The Iranian official also commented on the White House�s decision to "bring Iran�s oil exports down to zero", saying that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not allow any country to replace it in the global oil market, and the responsibility for any consequences falls on the US and the country/countries seeking to replace Iran in the market.