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EU urged to honor JCPOA role amid snapback push
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the European Union to fulfil its responsibilities as coordinator of the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), stressing the need to counter attempts aimed at undermining diplomacy.
In a meeting on Thursday in Qatar with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the top Iranian diplomat reminded her of the bloc’s role as “coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission” under the nuclear accord and UN Security Council Resolution 2231. He said the EU is expected to “live up to its mandate” and work to neutralize actions that run against diplomacy.
The talks came against the backdrop of efforts by France, Germany and the UK (collectively known as the E3) to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism under the JCPOA, a move that could restore all UN sanctions on Iran within 30 days if no agreement is reached. The two sides also discussed Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Araghchi reiterated that Iran remains committed to diplomacy and is serious and steadfast in this position.
Kallas underlined that diplomacy and negotiation remain the only way to resolve concerns, calling for more time to be given to diplomatic efforts. Both sides agreed to continue consultations in the coming days and weeks.
Although the EU was not a formal signatory to the 2015 nuclear accord, it acted as coordinator of the Joint Commission tasked with overseeing implementation.
Russia and China, the other JCPOA participants, have strongly opposed the move by E3 and, together with Iran, submitted a joint letter to the UN Security Council urging its rejection. According to Araghchi, Moscow and Beijing have also drafted a resolution to counter the European initiative, with Tehran engaged in close consultations to rally support.
Iran, IAEA delegations hold talks in Vienna
Amid heated row over the looming snapback of pre-JCPOA sanctions regime against Tehran, the E3 have specifically called on Iran to resume its cooperation with the IAEA, which Tehran suspended following a 12-day imposed war by Israel in June.
Under parliamentary legislation passed in response, any future cooperation with the IAEA must now be approved by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on a case-by-case basis.
Despite the restrictions, Iran and the IAEA remain in dialogue over new modalities for cooperation. On Friday, the two sides held a fresh round of talks aimed at establishing a revised framework for engagement.
Reza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, previously stated that the discussions would build on earlier negotiations and seek to define future collaboration in accordance with the statute passed by the Iranian parliament.
Last week, IAEA inspectors were granted limited access to Iran to oversee the refueling of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, and departed after completing the mission, with no indication of broader engagement.