Iran Blasts E3 Over ’Illegal, Irresponsible’ Sanctions Move

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has strongly criticized the three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal, accusing them of acting “illegally and irresponsibly” by seeking to reactivate UN Security Council sanctions against Iran through the snapback mechanism.

In discussions with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Thursday, Araghchi expressed that the European powers lacked justification for their efforts to restore previously annulled resolutions.

Araghchi "strongly criticized the position of the three European countries as unjustified, illegal and irresponsible," the Iranian foreign ministry said.

The Iranian foreign minister denounced their push as part of a long-term strategy to strip the Iranian people of their legitimate rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT].

He said their insistence on reviving these resolutions is not only legally baseless but also a betrayal of diplomacy.

"The insistence on reviving these resolutions is not only legally baseless but a betrayal of diplomacy," Araghchi stated, highlighting a decade-long narrative of Western actions that he argued have consistently undermined Iran's rights.

The Iranian minister said this destructive approach reached its peak with the illegal attacks by the United States and the Zionist entity on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, attacks that were met with “complicit silence” from the Europeans.

On August 28, Britain, France, and Germany triggered the UN snapback mechanism to reinstate sanctions on Iran, citing its alleged non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal [JCPOA].

The move came after the UN Security Council rejected a draft resolution to permanently lift nuclear-related sanctions. Without a new deal, the sanctions will automatically return by September 28.

Araghchi warned that the consequences of activating the snapback mechanism would be unpredictable and that the responsibility would lie squarely with its initiators and supporters.

He also recalled Iran's numerous proposals and initiatives to keep the path of diplomacy open and prevent tension.

“The decision of the three European countries to activate the mechanism known as the rollback was fundamentally in line with the inhumane policy of maximum pressure of the US government, and this amounts to the participation of the three European countries in the path of bullying and lawlessness,” he stated.

Araghchi noted that neither sanctions, nor military attack, nor diplomatic pressure can divert a nation that has decided to preserve its independence and dignity from this path.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is poised to revisit Iran’s nuclear program on Friday as China and Russia advocate for an extension of diplomatic negotiations.

European nations have initiated a process to re-impose sweeping sanctions set to take effect this weekend.

China and Russia are expected to introduce a draft resolution aimed at prolonging talks by an additional six months.

The draft resolution, in a reference to the United States, would call on all initial parties to the deal to "immediately resume negotiations.

However, diplomats remain skeptical about the likelihood of securing sufficient support for the resolution within the UN Security Council.

In a separate conversation, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to act quickly to avoid sanctions, calling for full access for UN inspectors and transparency on Iran’s enrichment activities.