Fresh UN Sanctions Will End European Role In Iran’s Nuclear Program, Says Minister

Iran has cautioned that European involvement in its nuclear program will cease to exist the moment the United Nations imposes sanctions on Tehran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday. 

He was referring to a clause in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was signed in 2015, local media reports said.

According to the JCPOA, the UN will impose sanctions on Iran if it goes against the terms of the deal.

Notably, the US under President Donald Trump pulled back from the deal in 2018 during his first term.

Will Iran Restart Its Nuclear Activities?

The Iranian foreign minister said that Iran is weighing the options of a renewed nuclear discussion with the US, media reports said.

Araghchi noted that Iran is “examining its timing” and the “assurance it requires” for “negotiations.”

He also stated that Iran will only discuss its nuclear program with any global power, and there will be no talks on its military strength.

The negotiations by Tehran will focus only on “nuclear” and the criteria to be fulfilled “in return for the lifting of sanctions,” he was quoted as saying by the local media.

Who Wants to Put A Full Stop On Iran’s Nuclear Activities?

Israel killed hundreds last month in Iran as it assaulted the nuclear sites, military leaders, nuclear scientists, and residential areas of the country.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, defended the decision to attack Iran by saying that Tehran is a “threat to Israel’s very survival.”

Iran claimed that the Israeli strikes violated the UN charter and retaliated by striking a few cities in Israel.

Later, the US too attacked Iran on what it called the nuclear sites of the Fordow facility, Natanz, and Isfahan. 

The US said it used the “bunker buster” bombs to assault the Iranian sites in a bid to stop Tehran from making nuclear bombs.

Iran also halted its cooperation with the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, citing the organization’s “double standard” and a “deep distrust.”

The Iranian foreign minister stated that going forward, Tehran’s cooperation with the IAEA would be built around a “new form.”

Also Read: Putin Presses Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ US-Backed Nuclear Deal: Report