Speaking in a phone call with his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot on Tuesday, Araghchi characterized the activation of the mechanism as an action “devoid of any political or legal significance,” taken solely to increase tension and crisis.
On August 28, the European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), notified the UN Security Council that they had invoked the so-called snapback mechanism, a 30-day process to restore all UN sanctions against Iran.
Iran rejected the illegitimate move by Britain, France, and Germany, given the US’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and the European trio’s alignment with unlawful sanctions against Iran instead of fulfilling their own commitments.
The Iranian top diplomat reiterated the purely peaceful nature of the country’s nuclear program, pointing to the recent agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as evidence.
“Iran has always considered diplomacy to be the only way to resolve international issues, including our country’s nuclear program,” he noted.
On June 25, the Iranian Parliament unanimously passed legislation requiring the government to suspend all cooperation with the IAEA.
It came a day after Iran, through its successful retaliatory operations, managed to impose a halt to Israeli-US aggression that also targeted three of the country’s nuclear sites in a clear violation of international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
On September 9, Araghchi and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reached an agreement on practical modalities to resume cooperation after a meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.
Araghchi also expressed readiness for any fair and balanced solution that ensures mutual benefits.
The French foreign minister, for his part, voiced concern over the escalating tensions and emphasized the importance of maintaining a space for dialogue and the necessity of returning to diplomacy.
The two sides also reviewed the status of bilateral relations, including consular issues between the two countries, and emphasized the need to continue bilateral contacts and consultations.
Press TV