The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “The European troika’s move in the Security Council today is illegal, unjustified, and provocative, and seriously undermines ongoing diplomatic efforts.” The Ministry added: “The European troika’s step comes at a time when Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities have been subjected to Israeli attacks.” It pointed out that “the European troika” did not take into account the international welcome it received.
The Ministry clarified that Iran has sought to keep the window for diplomatic solutions open, but “the European troika” only appears to follow the American agenda. It affirmed that Iran is determined to continue its peaceful nuclear program based on the will of the Iranian people and reserves the right to respond.
Tensions have escalated since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel last June, which led to disruptions and prompted Iran to suspend its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Despite repeated attempts by European powers to revive the 2015 agreement through negotiations and their assertion that they have a “clear legal basis” to activate the mechanism, Iran disagrees with this view and has threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the “snapback sanctions” mechanism is activated.
