“No one can say that we welcome the return of sanctions,” Esmaeil Baghaei said. “We experienced this sanctions process from 2006 to 2010 and then struggled from 2012 to lift them. It took more than two years to get rid of those sanctions. No rational person or responsible government welcomes their return.”
Baghaei added that while Iran had learned to defend its dignity and withstand the “unjust war” of economic sanctions, Tehran would do “everything in our power” to prevent their reimposition. He said Iran has been in contact with European governments, China, Russia, and other UN Security Council members, but must also be prepared for “any scenario” ahead.
On Europe’s role, he criticized Britain, France, and Germany for downgrading themselves from credible mediators to “a tool for the United States.”
Iran signaled as early as 2019 that it was ready to resume its commitments under the nuclear accord if the European parties and others fulfilled their obligations, Baghaei said.
“Our position is still the same: if everyone returns to the JCPOA, we will do so as well,” he stressed, noting that the agreement was backed by a UN Security Council resolution proposed by the United States and adopted by consensus. “If they had even a minimum of goodwill, they would try to implement their commitments under the JCPOA again and then expect Iran to do the same.”
IRNA