SAEDNEWS: Reuters reported that a senior Iranian official called the European Troika’s (the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) decision to activate the snapback mechanism “illegal and regrettable” and said that Iran will not yield under pressure.
According to SaedNews, citing IRNA, Reuters quoted an unnamed senior Iranian official as saying: “This move is contrary to diplomacy and has no chance of success. Diplomacy with Europe will continue. Iran will not yield under pressure.”
Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s foreign minister, after the European Troika’s announcement, claimed that this action does not mean the end of diplomacy.
Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, also urged Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) now and commit to direct talks with the United States next month.
Diplomats said that the UN Security Council is scheduled to meet behind closed doors on Friday to discuss the snapback mechanism.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the European Troika’s decision and claimed that Washington remains ready for direct engagement with Iran.
Reuters, quoting the Iranian source, wrote that Tehran would take such action only “if Washington guarantees that no military strike will occur during the talks.”
The three European countries (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) on Thursday issued a joint statement announcing the start of the process to activate the snapback mechanism against Iran. They accused Tehran of serious non-compliance with its JCPOA commitments and of lacking a civilian justification for its high enriched uranium stockpiles, and stated that they referred Iran’s case to the Security Council; an action that could result in the reinstatement of previous sanction resolutions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi described the European Troika’s action as unjustified, illegal, and lacking any legal basis.
Araqchi, recalling Iran’s responsible and good-faith conduct in adhering to diplomacy to resolve nuclear-related issues, stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately to this illegal and unjustified action of the three European countries to preserve and protect its national rights and interests.
The head of diplomacy emphasized Iran’s seriousness in defending its legal rights and interests under international law and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and expressed hope that the European countries, by adopting a responsible approach and understanding the existing realities, will suitably correct their mistaken move in the coming days.
