On Thursday, Russia expressed strong opposition to President Donald Trump’s choice to pull the United States out of the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran. They suggested that this move would lead Washington to blame Tehran for breaching the international treaty.
This reaction followed a warning from Britain, France, and Germany—collectively known as E3—to the UN Security Council that they had initiated a mechanism to swiftly reinstate severe UN sanctions against Iran, set to take effect within 30 days due to violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Dmitry Poliansky, Russia’s UN ambassador, noted, “The US abandons the JCPOA and things have started since then. [to] It will deteriorate.” He cautioned against disrupting the real sources of the issues that emerged since 2018, referring to Trump’s withdrawal over concerns regarding Iran’s compliance.
Trump has consistently claimed that Iran is neglecting the agreement; however, other signatories of the deal, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, indicate that there hasn’t been evidence of Iran expanding its nuclear ambitions until 2019.
A Russian diplomat remarked, “We all know that the measures Iran took in terms of uranium enrichment were a response to the US withdrawal from the JCPOA. And these measures can be easily reviewed.”
On Thursday, Russia and China also proposed a resolution at the UN Security Council aiming to extend the timeline of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal by six months, potentially allowing for sanctions on Tehran.
Yet, since Iran had previously rejected similar sanctions proposed by the E3 in July, it seems unlikely the US, France, or the UK would support any further action as permanent members of the Council.
For a long time, the US has urged other allies to strengthen sanctions against Iran after leaving the agreement back in 2018. Still, this stance raises questions, especially given previous indications that Iran has violated the JCPOA numerous times, reportedly exceeding the permitted levels of enriched uranium and restricting access to their nuclear sites.
“It’s just a step in escalation,” the diplomat added, “Western countries… don’t focus on diplomacy. They care only about the threat and enforcement against independent nations.”
British officials confirmed that all JCPOA participants, including Russia and China, had agreed on proposals aimed at seeking a diplomatic resolution with Iran, although efforts have faced ongoing hurdles, including Iran’s refusals.
Recent discussions have reportedly involved “very intense diplomacy” over the last several months, though on Thursday, it seemed Russia turned away from compromise.
Polianski emphasized the precarious state of global relations, stating, “The world is at an intersection. It’s very clear, one option is peace, diplomacy, goodwill. Another option is… diplomacy in gun barrels… terror and terror mail.”
The White House has yet to respond to inquiries regarding this situation.
