TEHRAN, Iran: Iran’s top security body has warned that action by France, Germany and the United Kingdom to reimpose international sanctions will “effectively suspend” its cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
The warning from the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) came on Saturday, a day after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) failed to adopt a resolution to permanently lift sanctions against Iran.
“Despite the foreign ministry’s cooperation with the (International Atomic Energy) Agency and the presentation of plans to resolve the issue, the actions of European countries will effectively suspend the path of cooperation with the agency,” the Supreme National Security Council said in a televised statement.
UNSC resolution
The UN Security Council failed to pass a resolution on Friday that would have prevented the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme before the deadline for the “snapping back” of punitive measures, according to the Guardian.
The vote means that the sanctions, which were suspended in return for curbs on Iran’s nuclear activities set out in the 2015 deal, will take renewed effect on September 28 unless Iran can persuade the council to relent in the next week.
According to AFP, Tehran said the action by the European powers undermined months of engagement with the IAEA aimed at resuming monitoring and ensuring compliance with international rules.
Earlier this month, Iran and the IAEA reached an agreement in Cairo that would have allowed inspections of Iranian nuclear sites to resume.
Attack on nuclear facilities
Iran had suspended them after Israel and the United States attacked its nuclear facilities in June.
Western governments have long accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapons capability, an ambition Tehran denies.
Tehran has also criticised the IAEA for failing to condemn the Israeli and US strikes.
The European governments have said they will not delay the reimposition of UN sanctions unless Iran resumes full cooperation with the IAEA and reopens nuclear talks with the United States, which have been suspended since June.
