WANA (Aug 29) – Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in an official letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the President of the UN Security Council, and its members, responded to what he described as “false claims” made in the August 8, 2025 letter of the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (the European Troika) regarding the status of the JCPOA and Security Council Resolution 2231.

 

Araghchi stressed that the Troika’s letter was “distorted and misleading,” calling it “another attempt to pave the way for two illegitimate courses of action,” and warned that such an approach could “undermine the authority and integrity of the Security Council and its resolutions.”

 

Rejecting the Troika’s claim that “Iran only activated the dispute settlement mechanism in July 2020” with the aim of discrediting Iran’s remedial measures, Araghchi recalled: “On May 10, 2018, the Islamic Republic of Iran formally and with full documentation activated the mechanism, followed by multiple Joint Commission meetings at the level of political directors (May 25) and foreign ministers (July 6). This process was fully in line with Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA and reflected Iran’s legitimate rights.”

 

In his letter, Araghchi highlighted two fundamental flaws in the Troika’s reasoning:

 

1. The importance of the sequence of actions:

The Troika seeks to manipulate the sequence of events in order to discredit Iran’s remedial steps. Yet they implicitly acknowledge that the timing of dispute settlement activation matters. Accordingly, a remedial measure cannot be taken against an earlier remedial measure by another party.

 

2. The claim that consensus is required to validate activation:

The Troika argues that consensus among JCPOA participants is necessary for invoking the dispute settlement mechanism. Araghchi rejected this as baseless, stressing that the only valid and complete activation was Iran’s action in May 2018, which was recognized by the Joint Commission and fully implemented through its procedures.

 

The Foreign Minister added: “In response to the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA and the reimposition of its unlawful sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran gradually reduced its commitments under the deal. This decision was taken within the framework of Iran’s rights under the JCPOA and aimed to preserve the agreement, not undermine it.” He noted that Iran had formally notified the coordinator of the Joint Commission and all remaining parties of its lawful measures through official correspondence from the outset.

 

Araghchi also warned against the Troika’s proposal to extend certain provisions of Resolution 2231, stressing: “Resolution 2231 must terminate on its ‘expiration day’ as scheduled. Any attempt to extend its provisions is inconsistent with the resolution’s purpose, would create a damaging precedent for the Security Council’s functioning, and would exacerbate internal divisions within the Council.” He made clear that in such circumstances, the Islamic Republic of Iran would take a firm and proportionate response in line with its supreme national interests.

 

In conclusion, the Iranian Foreign Minister reaffirmed Iran’s readiness for meaningful and purposeful diplomatic engagement, stating: “The Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to constructive diplomacy aimed at reaching a new agreement—one that respects Iran’s rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty while addressing mutual concerns, including the unjust sanctions that target the livelihood and welfare of the Iranian people.” Araghchi called on Security Council members to reject “unjust political manipulations” and to safeguard international law and the Council’s authority.

Iran and the European Troika - WANA

Iran and the European Troika – WANA