Iran Rejects EU Call to Resume Nuclear Negotiations

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has dismissed the European Union’s recent appeal to restart talks aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program.

The statement came on Wednesday in response to comments made by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who on Tuesday urged Iran to engage in immediate negotiations to curb its nuclear activities, The Caspian Post reports, citing Iranian media.

In a post on X, Araghchi on Wednesday night stated that Kallas disregarded the principles enshrined in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which explicitly affirms the right of all signatory states, including Iran, to develop, research, and utilize nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

He argued that the EU’s call undermines Iran’s sovereign rights under international law and fails to acknowledge the complexities of the existing nuclear agreements.

Araghchi further criticized the EU’s stance by referencing UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.

Araghchi rejected the involvement of the EU and the UK in any future negotiations, stating that their participation would be irrelevant and meaningless.

He contended that the resolution and the JCPOA framework have been undermined by the withdrawal of key parties, particularly the United States in 2018, rendering mechanisms like the “snapback” sanctions process obsolete and legally baseless.

Iran has intensified asserting its nuclear rights since the US unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA under the Trump administration, reimposing stringent sanctions. The Islamic Republic has since scaled back its compliance with the deal, advancing its uranium enrichment activities while maintaining that its program is for peaceful purposes, such as energy production and medical research.

The EU, along with France, Germany, and the UK (collectively known as the E3), has been attempting to salvage the JCPOA through diplomatic channels. But Tehran has long complained about European inaction and duplicity since the US unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018.