Tehran Accuses European Nations of Neglecting 2015 Nuclear Agreement
Tehran, Iran — Iran’s government has accused Britain, France, and Germany of failing to uphold their commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, escalating tensions over its atomic program. On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that “the European parties have been at fault and negligent in implementing” the agreement.
The criticism comes after the three European nations, collectively known as the E3, threatened to reimpose sanctions on Iran if it doesn’t return to negotiations concerning its nuclear activities. The E3 warned that if talks do not resume or fail to yield results, they might trigger the “snapback mechanism” to restore United Nations sanctions by the end of August.
In response, Iran and the E3 have scheduled deputy foreign minister-level talks in Istanbul this Friday. These discussions are the first since Israel and the United States reportedly attacked Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago, significantly heightening regional tensions.
The 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was an agreement between Iran and six world powers: the E3 countries, China, Russia, and the United States. The deal aimed to lift economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for limitations on its nuclear program to ensure it remained peaceful. However, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, reinstating severe sanctions on Iran.
Since the U.S. withdrawal, efforts to maintain the deal have faltered. Tehran has gradually breached parts of the agreement, arguing that it is entitled to do so because other signatories have not fulfilled their obligations, particularly in providing economic relief from sanctions.
“If the EU and the E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly and abandon worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the ‘snapback’ mechanism for which they lack any moral and legal ground,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi earlier this week.
Prior to recent hostilities, Iran and the U.S. had engaged in indirect talks mediated by Oman, aiming to revive the nuclear agreement. However, significant obstacles remain, especially regarding uranium enrichment levels in Iran. Western powers are concerned that higher enrichment could lead to the development of nuclear weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear program is solely for civilian energy purposes.
The snapback mechanism allows any party to the JCPOA to reimpose previous UN sanctions if Iran is found to be in significant non-compliance. This mechanism can be activated before the UN Security Council resolution supporting the deal expires on October 18.
The upcoming talks in Istanbul represent a critical opportunity for diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation and to potentially revive the nuclear agreement. The outcome could significantly impact not only Iran’s relations with European nations but also the overall stability in the Middle East.
