WANA (Dec 11) – The spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the claims made in a joint statement by the foreign ministry spokespeople of France, Germany, and the UK concerning recent developments in Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. He emphasized that the recent decision to activate a greater number of advanced centrifuges falls within the explicit rights of the signatories of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This decision was made with due notification and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

 

Esmail Baghaei stated, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a responsible member of the IAEA, has demonstrated its commitment to cooperating with the organization. The agreements reached during the Director General’s visit to Tehran on November 14-15, 2024, stand as evidence of this commitment. It is regrettable that the three European countries, disregarding the achievements of the Director General’s visit—which could have served as a basis for strengthening future cooperation—persisted in their unconstructive approach and passed a resolution against Iran.”

 

Referring to the meeting on November 29, 2024, in Geneva with representatives from the three European countries, Baghaei reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to constructive engagement based on mutual respect. At the same time, he stressed that Iran would respond appropriately to any confrontational or illegal behavior within the framework of its legal rights.

 

Baghaei further noted that the current situation regarding the implementation of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) is not due to Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities or its remedial measures. Instead, it stems from the unilateral withdrawal of one member and the failure of the three European members to fulfill their commitments.

 

The spokesperson urged the three European countries to adhere to a path of reciprocal constructive engagement. He advised them to focus on addressing the root causes of the current situation, which are a combination of ongoing non-compliance and unlawful, inhumane policies of pressure and sanctions against the Iranian people, rather than issuing provocative and unhelpful statements about Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.