Iran warns it will cancel IAEA agreement if sanctions reinstated
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Iran warned it will cancel its IAEA agreement if sanctions are reinstated, with officials accusing Western powers of undermining diplomacy and rejecting Russian proposals to extend talks.
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The Iranian flag flies in front of a UN building where closed-door nuclear talks take place at the International Center in Vienna, Austria on June 18, 2014. (AP)
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, warned on Wednesday that Tehran will cancel its agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if sanctions are reinstated.
Speaking to local media, Gharibabadi said Iran has made “strenuous efforts over the past weeks to revive the diplomatic track,” but accused Western countries of “working to undermine these efforts.”
He emphasized that Iran remains committed to a diplomatic solution, pointing to the Sino-Russian draft resolution proposing an extension of the “trigger mechanism” deadline as the “last chance to spare the region from escalation.”
Gharibabadi stressed that Tehran would respond decisively to any action that harms its national interests.
Iran accuses West of breaking promises, rules out missile restrictions
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said on Iranian television that Western states had previously assured Tehran they would not activate the snapback mechanism if an agreement was reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to reset relations.
"We did reach such an agreement with the Agency, but the European troika later changed its stance," Larijani said.
He explained that Russia proposed extending the deadline for the trigger mechanism by six months while talks continued, a proposal Tehran accepted. "However, this too did not materialize due to European rejection," he added.
According to Larijani, the European countries also suggested broader negotiations that would include dialogue with the United States. "We agreed in order to remove any pretexts, yet they went on to create new ones," he stated.
