EU Reimposes Iran Sanctions but Stresses Diplomacy as the Only Path Forward
WANA (Oct 06) – The European Union’s foreign policy chief emphasized that Iran’s nuclear issue can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, addressed the topic of Iran on Sunday during the EU–Gulf Cooperation Council Forum held in Kuwait.
Kallas said: “Ten years after the nuclear deal took effect, the UN Security Council last week reinstated sanctions against Iran. During the 30-day period following the activation of the snapback mechanism by France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, we engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts with Iran. However, these efforts did not create the conditions necessary for a possible extension of the related Security Council resolution.”
Diplomacy Against the Snapback Mechanism . JCPOA
Her remarks come as Iranian, Russian, and Chinese officials have declared the move by the three European countries to restore UN sanctions against Iran illegal. Iranian officials have also stressed that UN Security Council Resolution 2231 must be considered terminated on its scheduled date, October 18.
The senior EU diplomat continued: “The European Union is now reinstating, without delay, all nuclear-related sanctions that had previously been lifted. However, the return of sanctions and nuclear restrictions must not mark the end of diplomacy.”
Kallas added: “With that in mind, I will continue engaging with all relevant parties, including Iran, because a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue can only be achieved through negotiation and diplomacy.”
Addressing members of the forum, she said: “Together, we can ensure that Iran becomes a responsible partner.”
Iran Blames the U.S. and Israel for Illegal Attacks on Nuclear Facilities
WANA (Oct 06) – In a press conference held on Monday (October 6), the spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaei, outlined the country’s latest diplomatic positions and accused the United States, Israel, and certain European countries of exploiting reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to justify unlawful actions against Iran’s […]
Meanwhile, Esmail Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, responded during his weekly press conference to what he called the “repetitive statements” of European officials about dialogue with Iran: “They say the path of diplomacy remains open — that’s a general statement. We also believe diplomacy is never closed, and whenever we determine that it serves Iran’s national interests, we will not hesitate to use it. However, these three European countries have proven that diplomacy, as practiced by them, is unproductive.”
Baqaei further stressed: “The action of the three European countries in implementing the snapback mechanism is deeply flawed — both procedurally and legally — and has created confusion within the UN Security Council and the United Nations as a whole. It remains unclear what exactly the Council has supposedly reinstated. This move by the three European states was less a product of rational calculation and more an act of stubbornness — carried out at Washington’s request and without regard for their own interests.”
