The reaction came after the UN Security Council on Friday voted against a draft resolution that would have permanently lifted sanctions linked to Iran’s nuclear program.
Nine members opposed the measure, while Russia, China, Pakistan, and Algeria backed it, and two abstained. As a result, the UN sanctions against Iran will be re-imposed by September 28 if no agreement is reached.
In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the move amounted to “an unlawful, unjustified and provocative act” that undermines ongoing diplomatic processes.
The Ministry said, “The destructive actions by three European countries to reinstate the annulled UN Security Council resolutions come at a time when Iran’s safeguarded nuclear facilities were attacked and damaged by the Israeli regime and the United States.”
It said these attacks violate the UN Charter, endanger international peace and security, and severely undermine the foundations of the non-proliferation regime.
The Ministry added that, “The three European countries not only declined to condemn these aggressive actions by Israel and the United States but also perpetrated a dual violation by abusing the JCPOA dispute resolution mechanism.”
The statement outlined five points, noting that the European action completes the process of reviving canceled resolutions and “seriously weakens” diplomacy.
The ministry highlighted that the full responsibility for the consequences lies with the United States and the E3, which “misrepresented facts, made unfounded allegations, and pressured some non-permanent Council members.”
The measure lacked consensus and went ahead despite strong opposition from several Council members, damaging both the credibility of the body and the non-proliferation regime, noted the statement.
Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and reflects the will of its people to pursue scientific and technological progress, noted the ministry, adding that Tehran will defend its rights, including through diplomacy, while “reserving the right to respond to any unlawful measures.”
Finally, it urged all responsible members of the international community to reject the European action and avoid granting it legitimacy.
Iran has long argued that the E3 had no legal standing to invoke snapback, given their own violations of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) following the US withdrawal in 2018. Tehran notes that it only reduced its nuclear commitments in response to that breach.
Tehran will not accept unfair measures
On Friday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone conversation with Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The two discussed the status of Iran’s cooperation with the agency, the snapback dispute, and the Council’s deliberations.
Araghchi criticized the “politicized atmosphere” in the IAEA Board of Governors’ sessions, insisting that Iran’s cooperation with the agency remains “purely technical and within the framework of international regulations.”
He stressed that as a responsible nation, Iran has consistently pursued diplomacy and technical cooperation to resolve nuclear issues but “will not accept unfair political measures and pressure that could fuel further tensions.”
The conversation came as Iran and the IAEA had signed a new cooperation agreement on September 9.
The agreement with the IAEA followed a suspension of cooperation after Israeli-American attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. That suspension had been mandated by the Iranian Parliament in protest at an anti-Iran resolution passed by the agency’s Board of Governors, which the Israeli regime used as a pretext to launch its US-backed aggression against Iran.
Tehran had already warned that the implementation of the new agreement hinged on stopping the so-called snapback mechanism.
Press TV