The United Kingdom, France, and Germany have expressed concern over escalating tensions with Iran following the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions. The three nations indicated that they felt compelled to reapply these measures as a last resort due to Iran’s continued nuclear activities and insufficient cooperation. In their joint statement, they urged Iran to avoid any further escalation and emphasized that the reinstatement of sanctions should not signal the end of diplomatic efforts.
Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, articulated that the country does not intend to pursue nuclear weapons and criticized the sanctions as “unfair, unjust, and illegal.” The sweeping economic and military sanctions were put back in place at 00:00 GMT after having been lifted for a decade under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This agreement was undermined when the United States withdrew from it in 2016 under President Donald Trump, who labeled the pact as flawed.
In a statement issued early on Sunday, the foreign ministers of the E3 noted Iran’s repeated violations of their commitments, which prompted them to activate the snapback procedure, resulting in the return of the sanctions. They also reiterated their intention to pursue diplomatic pathways, citing Iran’s lack of action to address their concerns, particularly regarding its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The statement pointed out that Iran has not permitted IAEA inspectors access to its nuclear sites or provided a comprehensive report on its high-enriched uranium stockpile. Tensions have been exacerbated by Iran’s suspension of IAEA inspections after attacks on its nuclear sites and military bases in June. While the IAEA confirmed the resumption of inspections, Iran warned that returning sanctions could jeopardize ongoing negotiations.
Pezeshkian has since moderated previous threats to exit the Non-Proliferation Treaty but reiterated the need for assurances regarding the security of Iran’s nuclear facilities. Additionally, he rejected a U.S. demand for the total transfer of enriched uranium in exchange for a temporary exemption from sanctions, questioning the prudence of such a move. As a further diplomatic gesture, Iran announced it would recall its ambassadors to the UK, France, and Germany for consultations.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crme84w3n23o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss