Iran warns of NPT exit amid renewed Western pressure on nuclear deal
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Iran warns of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the E3 and US move forward with reimposing UN sanctions ahead of sixth round of talks with US.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, rear center, attends a meeting with his colleagues during negotiations with US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, in Rome, Italy, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP)
Iran has cautioned that it might exercise its legal right to exit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should European parties involved in the 2015 nuclear deal move forward with their attempts to reimpose United Nations sanctions on the country.
In a formal letter to the UN Security Council, Iran's Ambassador Saeed Iravani reiterated Tehran's warning that it may take "proportionate measures" in response to external pressure, including initiating withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty under Article X provisions.
The warning emerges as Britain, France, and Germany, known as the E3, alongside the United States, are pushing for a vote on their proposed resolution targeting Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna. The vote was originally set for Wednesday but delayed until Thursday because of scheduling limitations, as confirmed by diplomatic sources in the Austrian capital.
IAEA report politically charged, E3 exploiting snapback mechanism: Iran
The resolution, citing a recent IAEA report, alleges Iran's non-cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog regarding suspected undeclared nuclear activities.
If passed, it could trigger the reinstatement of UN sanctions, previously lifted under the 2015 JCPOA, as key provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which originally endorsed the nuclear deal, are due to expire in October.
Iranian officials have rejected the IAEA's findings as "politically charged" and based on intelligence from adversarial parties, including "Israel", while condemning the E3 for exploiting the JCPOA's snapback mechanism as leverage during ongoing negotiations with the US about reviving the nuclear agreement that Washington exited unilaterally in 2018.
In a joint statement this week, the E3 nations affirmed their diplomatic approach while warning of potential action should Iran allegedly violate its NPT Safeguards obligations, stating they would consider activating the snapback mechanism to counter international security threats if negotiations fail to yield acceptable results.
In his Security Council letter, Iravani denounced the E3's initiative as "a legally baseless and politically reckless act, with profoundly destabilizing consequences for regional and international peace and security."
Tensions between the US, Iran, ahead of sixth round of talks
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement from Oslo on Thursday that his country is preparing for a new round of talks with the United States next Sunday in the Omani capital, Muscat. Araghchi argued that the IAEA Board of Governors' latest decision "only makes the situation more complicated."
The minister emphasized that the Iranian delegation will be in Muscat "to defend the rights of the Iranian people, uphold Tehran's principles, and protect the achievements of its nuclear scientists."
According to US media reports on Wednesday, an American official said that Steve Wittkoff, the US special envoy for the Middle East, is expected to meet with Araghchi in Muscat, where the two will discuss Tehran’s upcoming response to Washington’s most recent proposal on the nuclear agreement.
