Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna has warned that Britain, France, and Germany—known as the E3—are “playing with fire” by insisting on adopting a new resolution against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) Board of Governors.
Addressing the quarterly meeting of the Board of Governors on Wednesday, Mikhail Ulyanov condemned the E3’s threat to activate the “snapback” mechanism against Iran under a previous nuclear deal, which the United States ditched in 2018, saying it would be an “irresponsible and politically motivated act.”
“This is simply playing with fire, the result of which is obvious: destabilizing the Middle East and undermining international peace and security,” Ulyanov stated.
Emphasizing the need for diplomacy, the Russian diplomat asserted that the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), remains the only successful example of a political and long-term solution to Iran’s nuclear issue.
He criticized the European signatories and the United States for deliberately disrupting the implementation of the JCPOA, ten years after the agreement was signed.
“France, Germany, Britain, and the U.S., instead of fulfilling their obligations and building trust, chose the fruitless path of the maximum pressure campaign,” he said, adding that Iran fully complied with its obligations for over a year—even after the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
The Russian representative warned that making accusations against Iran without acknowledging these facts amounts to “a deliberate distortion of the truth.”
He pointed out that Iran only began rolling back its commitments under the JCPOA after the European signatories failed to take any steps to compensate Tehran for the losses caused by the U.S. withdrawal and were continuing to neglect their obligations.
Ulyanov criticized those who undermined the JCPOA, saying that they are now creating hype and calling for actions that amount to nothing but sanctions.
“If these countries were truly committed to the agreement, the JCPOA would have been fully implemented, and all uncertainties regarding Iran’s nuclear program would be resolved,” he added.
Ulyanov warned members of the Board of Governors against adopting a political resolution at the current meeting, calling it “a wrong and immature move that will further worsen the current state of affairs.”
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