Araqchi said on Saturday in a meeting with ambassadors, chargés d’affaires, and heads of foreign and international missions based in Tehran that, in accordance with a law passed by Parliament, all of Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA will henceforth be managed through the Supreme National Security Council. Requests from the Agency for continued monitoring in Iran and further cooperation will be reviewed and decided upon by this Council.
Araqchi continued: “We are not satisfied with the performance of the IAEA. The report prepared by the Agency led to the adoption of a completely political resolution by the Board of Governors, and that resolution and the report themselves became pretexts for military attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.”
Referring to the Supreme Leader’s fatwa banning the production of nuclear weapons, he said: “If Iran intended to pursue nuclear weapons, it would have done so already. The Islamic Republic adheres to principles rooted in Islamic and humanitarian beliefs.”
He also said: “We have always been ready to engage in dialogue regarding our nuclear program, and we will continue to be in the future. But naturally, there must be assurances that any future negotiations will not once again be turned into war by the US or other countries.”
Araqchi also referred to the threat by the three European countries—Britain, Germany, and France—to reimpose sanctions against Iran through the so-called snapback mechanism, saying: “Snapback would mean the end of Europe’s role in the Iranian nuclear issue.”
He stressed that: “In any negotiation-based solution, the rights of the Iranian people regarding the nuclear issue—particularly the right to enrichment—must be respected. We will not accept any agreement that excludes enrichment.”
Araqchi further emphasized the importance of preserving Iran’s military capabilities, stating: “Our defensive capabilities are for the protection of the Iranian people, and these capabilities will not be the subject of any negotiation.”