Russia and China have condemned a decision by Britain, Germany and France to initiate a process that could reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, Iran International reported Saturday
“We strongly condemn these actions by European countries and call on the international community to reject them,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday in a statement that blamed the United States and the Europeans for the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal.
According to Iran International, China calls the move by the European countries was “not constructive”.
“The Iranian nuclear issue is at a critical juncture. Launching the Security Council’s snapback mechanism of sanctions is not constructive and will undermine the process of a political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular media briefing on Friday.
The E3 had on Thursday lunched a call on the UN Security Council to reimpose sanction on Iran through the snapback mechanism over its recent nuclear activities. E3 accused Iran of violating a nuclear deal that led to lifting of international sanction on the country
‘Since 2019, Iran has exceeded JCPoA limits on enriched uranium, heavy water, and centrifuges, restricted the IAEA’s ability to conduct JCPoA verification and monitoring activities, and has abandoned the implementation and the ratification process of the Additional Protocol to its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. These actions contravene Iran’s commitments set out in the JCPoA and have serious implications on the capacity of Iran to progress toward developing a nuclear weapon” E3 said in their joint statement.
Iran earlier decried the move, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying it was “unjustified” and “lacking any legal basis” in a call with his European counterparts.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately to this unlawful and unwarranted measure,” he said. Hours later, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the move by the European countries will “gravely undermine” its ongoing cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog agency.
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France, Germany, and the UK’s ambassadors to the UN said on Friday that, in order to avoid sanctions, Iran should restore access for UN nuclear inspectors, address concerns about enriched uranium stocks, and begin talks with the US
But Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the E3’s requirements were “full of unrealistic preconditions”.
