DUBAI, July 21. /TASS/. Holding negotiations between Iran and the Eurotroika countries (Germany, France and the United Kingdom) without receiving any guarantees from them that no act of aggression will be carried out against the Islamic republic may weaken Tehran’s position, Iran’s Farhikhtegan newspaper said.
The media outlet noted that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had named the main condition for resuming dialogue with Washington - that the US guarantees it will not attack the republic again. The news outlet wonders as to whether Iran requires similar guarantees from the Eurotroika, which supported both Israel and the US’ attacks on Iran, precluding it from acting as an unbiased mediator.
The newspaper believes that Tehran should develop a plan of action in the event Iran’s potential agreement with the Eurotroika is rejected or hindered by Washington. According to the media outlet, the Islamic republic must work out a clear plan if European countries breach agreements as dialogue without preconditions makes Iran vulnerable.
The article noted that prejudiced reports on Tehran’s nuclear program by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had frequently triggered anti-Iranian measures from the Eurotroika. Currently, London, Berlin and Paris are threatening Tehran with activating the snapback mechanism which restores the UN Security Council sanctions against Iran. European countries link this decision with the latest report by the IAEA on Iran’s nuclear program. According to Farhikhtegan, even if Iran fully adheres to its obligations, Europe may still engage this mechanism due to the prejudiced nature of the agency’s report.
The newspaper reiterated statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who asserted that by attacking Iran, Israel is doing Europe’s "dirty work." According to the media outlet, Israel’s potential sabotage of agreements on Tehran’s nuclear program must not be ruled out.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that a new round of negotiations between Iran and the Eurotroika on settling differences around Tehran’s nuclear program will be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Istanbul on July 25.
Iranian nuclear issue
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany struck a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015 to address the crisis over its nuclear program. Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, the US and France have been in talks with Iran in Vienna since April 2021, seeking to restore the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in its original form, without achieving any specific results.
In response to Washington’s withdrawal from the JCPOA, in 2020, the Iranian parliament passed a law outlining a strategic plan to remove sanctions and protect the Iranian people’s interests. As part of this plan, Iran scaled back several obligations under the nuclear deal, particularly by suspending inspections by the IAEA beyond the safeguard agreement related to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and prohibiting the use of stringent monitoring measures.
Earlier, Iran vowed to withdraw from the NPT if the snapback mechanism, allowing for the return of all UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran that were suspended under the JCPOA is activated.