Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Jul 14: Iran on Monday warned it would deliver a "proportionate and appropriate response" if France, Britain, and Germany (the E3) move ahead with reinstating international sanctions under the nuclear deal’s snapback mechanism.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, addressing a press conference in Tehran, criticised the E3’s warning as politically motivated and lacking legal or moral justification. He reaffirmed Iran's commitment to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), claiming Iran's reduced compliance stemmed from violations by the US and other signatories.
“The E3 have not honoured their own JCPOA obligations,” Baghaei said, adding that invoking the snapback clause was irrelevant in light of recent Israeli-US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Baghaei also dismissed any immediate prospects of reviving US-Iran nuclear negotiations, citing a lack of trust in the diplomatic process. Talks held earlier this year between April and May were suspended after escalating regional conflict derailed progress.
The sixth round of indirect US-Iran talks was scheduled for June 15 in Muscat, Oman. However, that was derailed by Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities just days before, which killed key military and nuclear personnel.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel, followed by US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Iran responded by targeting the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The 12-day conflict ended with a ceasefire on June 24.
Iran’s latest warning signals increasing tension in nuclear diplomacy, with Tehran holding the E3 accountable for worsening the standoff.