Iran says its remedial nuclear steps in compliance with NPT

Iran’s acting ambassador to international organizations in Vienna made the comments in an address to a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors, where members should vote on a western-backed resolution that criticizes the country’s nuclear program with regard to its obligations under the 2015 agreement, the JCPOA.

Mohammad Reza Ghaebi told the meeting that the agency is focusing on the obligations of Iran while those of other signatories to the JCPOA are being ignored.

“If there was an international organization to oversee the proliferation of illegal sanctions, reports about violations by the US and the E-3 European countries under the Security Council resolution 2231 would have become a long list,” he told the board meeting.

“Extra-territorial imposition of such unilateral sanctions are a breach of international law per se, let alone the US’s violation of its obligations under resolution 2231 of the Security Council.”

Ghaebi noted that the sanctions impose illegal economic restrictions on others that goes against the principle of non-intervention in other countries’ affairs, enshrined in the UN Charter.

“[By using the sanctions], the US tries to influence the political choices independent countries make, in line with its own foreign policy priorities,” he said.

Ghaebi stressed that Iran’s remedial nuclear steps fall under paragraphs 26 and 36 of the JCPOA, while the US sanctions “cannot be considered retaliation or reciprocal measures”.

He also slammed the European signatories to the nuclear deal, saying they cannot claim to support the JCPOA as long as they block Iranian assets and stick with the US sanctions on Iran.

The ambassador added that Iran has limited its remedial nuclear measures to its obligations and rights under the NPT.

Ghaebi said even now and after the long-running talks to revive the JCPOA, the US is yet to clarify whether it would end its maximum pressure campaign against Iran and respect its obligations under the accord, n a verifiable manner.