Araqchi stated that the European Union presented a “partial and selective narrative” to the Security Council, ignoring fundamental facts about the implementation of the nuclear agreement and noting that Europe has not fulfilled its trade and economic commitments since the agreement was signed in 2015. He added that Russia and China supported the Iranian position through official memoranda to the Security Council, rejecting any European attempt to reimpose sanctions, emphasizing that Tehran has resorted to the dispute settlement mechanism since 2018 and has taken “legitimate compensatory measures” in response to Western violations. The Iranian minister accused the European Union of “utter failure” in fulfilling its commitments, whether related to normalizing trade relations or lifting economic restrictions, and noted that the Vienna negotiations (2021-2022) failed due to “Washington’s intransigence and Europe’s linking of external files.” In conclusion, Araqchi called on Europeans, affirming that Iran reserves the right to take steps to protect its national interests and nuclear rights.
Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid Kanbari said any attempt to reimpose sanctions through resolution 2231 “will not affect Iran’s trade dealings,” considering that most sanctions “have lost their impact on individuals and companies.” Conversely, Panama’s mission, the current president of the Security Council, announced that the European troika submitted an official letter.
In a parallel development, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed his country’s readiness for “direct dialogue with Iran,” considering that reimposing sanctions “does not contradict diplomatic efforts but enhances them.” The “snapback mechanism” dates back to the nuclear agreement signed in 2015 between Iran and the “5+1” group, which allows for the reimposition of UN sanctions if Tehran breaches its commitments; however, Iran believes this tool lost its legal validity after the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
