Iran says cooperation with IAEA suspended
TEHRAN
Iran's top security body said on Sept. 20 that action by Britain, France and Germany to reimpose U.N. sanctions will "effectively suspend" its cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
"Despite the Foreign Ministry's cooperation with the [International Atomic Energy] Agency and the presentation of plans to resolve the issue, the actions of European countries will effectively suspend the path of cooperation with the agency," the Supreme National Security Council said in a televised statement.
The announcement comes after the Security Council voted on Sept. 19 to reimpose frozen U.N. sanctions after the European governments activated the "snapback" mechanism in a decade-old nuclear agreement accusing Iran of non-compliance.
The vote means that the sanctions, which were suspended in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear activities set out in the 2015 deal, will take renewed effect on Sept. 28 unless Iran can persuade the council to relent this week.
Tehran said the action by the European powers undermined months of engagement with the IAEA aimed at resuming monitoring and ensuring compliance with international rules.
Earlier this month, Iran and the IAEA reached an agreement in Cairo that would have allowed inspections of Iranian nuclear sites to resume.
Iran had suspended them after Israel and the United States attacked its nuclear facilities in June.
Western governments have long accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapons capability, an ambition Tehran denies.
Tehran has also criticized the IAEA for failing to condemn the Israeli and U.S. strikes.
The European governments have said they will not delay the reimposition of U.N. sanctions unless Iran resumes full cooperation with the IAEA and reopens nuclear talks with the United States, which have been suspended since June.
Russia slammed the Security Council vote to reimpose economic sanctions on Iran and warned of a risk of an "escalation of tensions.”
"The Russian side has repeatedly pointed out the provocative and illegal nature of the actions of the European countries participating in the JCPOA," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Britain, France and Germany were among the parties to a 2015 deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that gave Iran relief from U.N. sanctions in return for U.N.-monitored restrictions on its nuclear activities.
The three governments say Iran has reneged on its commitments under the deal which has been effectively moribund since Washington pulled out in 2018 during President Donald Trump's first term.
