Gharibabadi: No Secret Talks With the IAEA
WANA (Nov 19) – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, dismissed reports claiming that Tehran held secret negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Egypt. “We have an ongoing relationship with the Agency and do not need secret talks,” he said on Tuesday night during a televised interview.
Western Pressure Tactics ‘Have Failed’
Commenting on recent Western statements regarding talks between Iran and Western countries—especially the United States—Gharibabadi said policies adopted by Washington and the three European countries over the past year had failed to achieve their intended goals.
“The Europeans believed that activating the snapback mechanism would impose heavy pressure on Iran and perhaps force it to retreat,” he said. “We had already warned them that snapback was their last arrow. If they fired it, they would have no effective tools left for negotiations.”
He noted that China and Russia strongly opposed the European attempt to activate the snapback mechanism at the UN Security Council, preventing international consensus on the matter for the first time.
Russia, China, and Iran: The European Troika’s Resort to “Snapback” Is Legally Flawed
WANA (Oct 25) – The Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of Russia, China, and Iran to the United Nations Office have stated in a joint letter to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the European Troika’s invocation of the so-called “snapback” mechanism is inherently flawed, both legally and procedurally. […]
Gharibabadi added that although the snapback move had some domestic economic impact, the predicted level of pressure did not materialize. “This shows we were able to contain the effects, and ultimately, they failed.”
“The U.S. Must Change Its Approach”
The deputy foreign minister also argued that both the U.S. and Israel had carried out actions against Iran but had not succeeded. “Did they defeat Iran? No. The main failure was theirs,” he said, claiming that Iran had delivered “heavy blows” to Israel and remained “stable, strong, and supported by its people.”
He suggested that any recent signals from Washington indicate a return to rationality and recognition of past policy failures.
No Secret Talks; Cairo Understanding at Risk
Addressing claims of secret Iran–IAEA negotiations in Egypt, Gharibabadi reiterated that no such talks had taken place. He also warned that if the U.S. and European countries pursue a resolution against Iran at the upcoming IAEA Board of Governors meeting, “the understanding previously reached in Cairo will be completely set aside.”
Cairo Agreement between Iran and the IAEA. Social media/ WANA News Agency
Plans Underway for Caspian Summit
Gharibabadi highlighted the opening session of the first meeting of governors from Caspian littoral provinces, held in Rasht, adding that Iran is preparing to host the next Caspian Summit in Tehran in August next year. He added that the president is scheduled to visit Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in the coming month.
Shift in Diplomatic Strategy Toward Neighboring States
Defending the Foreign Ministry’s regional diplomacy efforts, Gharibabadi emphasized that Iranian foreign policy should not be limited to negotiations with a few major countries. Economic diplomacy, he said, is a significant part of the ministry’s responsibilities.
He revealed that the ministry is undergoing structural reforms to maximize the use of domestic and regional capacities. One major shift, he noted, is prioritizing the assignment of Iran’s strongest diplomats to embassies in neighboring countries rather than European capitals—a change strongly supported by the foreign minister.
Iran’s Trade with Neighbors Reaches $38 Billion
WANA (Nov 05) – Iran’s trade volume with its 15 neighboring countries reached 64.875 million tons in the first seven months of the current year, valued at approximately $38.154 billion, according to newly released customs data. Neighboring states have long been among Iran’s main export destinations due to geographical proximity, cultural ties, and logistical […]
Key Role for Regional Organizations
Gharibabadi also pointed to the growing importance of Iran’s participation in regional organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS, and ECO. He mentioned the recent participation of Iran’s first vice president in the BRICS Prime Ministers’ meeting in Russia and said several Iranian proposals were included in the final communiqué.
“We have critical capacities within neighboring countries and organizations like Shanghai, BRICS, and ECO,” he said, adding that Iran has established a coordination committee with representatives from more than 60 domestic institutions to better utilize these platforms for national interests.
