Iran has blamed European countries for the failure of the 2015 nuclear agreement, accusing them of not fulfilling their commitments, ahead of talks in Istanbul on Friday with France, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
In 2015, Iran, several Western powers, China, and Russia reached an agreement imposing significant restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for a gradual lifting of UN sanctions.
However, in 2018, during Donald Trump's first term, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sanctions.
European countries expressed their commitment to the deal, but initial plans to counteract the return of US sanctions struggled to materialise. Consequently, many Western companies were forced to leave Iran, which faced rampant inflation and an economic crisis.
“The European parties were at fault and negligent in implementing the nuclear agreement,” said Esmaïl Baghaï, the Iranian diplomatic spokesperson.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed country enriching uranium to a high level (60%), far exceeding the 3.67% limit set by the 2015 international agreement.
The IAEA notes that enrichment must reach 90% to manufacture a nuclear bomb.
Recently, Paris, London, and Berlin have threatened to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran, as permitted by a clause in the agreement, accusing Tehran of failing to meet its nuclear commitments.
Employing this mechanism “is senseless, unjustifiable, and immoral,” asserted Esmaïl Baghaï during a weekly press conference, arguing that Iran distanced itself from the agreement in retaliation for Western failures.
“The reduction of Iran’s commitments was carried out in accordance with the provisions” set out in the agreement, said the Iranian diplomatic spokesperson.
