Iran FM raps E3 push for anti-Tehran resolution at IAEA Board of Governors

In a phone call with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot, Araghchi strongly deplored the decision by France, Germany and the United Kingdom to present a resolution against Iran at the meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.

He warned that the move by the European troika is in direct contradiction to the positive atmosphere created in the interaction between Iran and the UN nuclear agency and would further complicate the matters.

The top diplomat also denounced the EU’s recent “unjustifiable and provocative” decision to impose new sanctions against Iran.

It comes nearly a week after IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited Tehran at the head of a delegation to negotiate with top Iranian nuclear and political officials.

During his visit to Tehran, the UN nuclear chief held separate meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami on Thursday.

On Friday, Grossi also paid visits to two uranium enrichment sites in Fordow and Natanz.

Iranian officials have warned of an immediate response to any resolution by the United Nations nuclear agency against Tehran.

In 2015, Iran proved the peaceful nature of its nuclear program to the world by signing the multilateral nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — with six world powers.

However, Washington’s unilateral withdrawal in 2018 and its subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran left the future of the deal in limbo.

In 2019, Iran started to roll back the limits it had accepted under the JCPOA after the other parties failed to live up to their commitments.