Iranian President Mahmoud Pezeshkian, who is under the oversight of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spent much of his meeting with European leaders on Wednesday urging them to refrain from reinstating “snapback” sanctions related to the country’s nuclear activities.
Iran’s recent aggressive expansion in nuclear development, especially in uranium enrichment, has raised alarms globally. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) condemned Iran in June for violating international law commitments to uranium enrichment—a serious breach not seen in two decades.
Following this, the remaining signatories of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), widely known as the Iran nuclear deal from the Obama administration, have started the process of reinstating sanctions previously lifted. The “snapback” clauses within the agreement allow for these sanctions to be reimplemented if Iran fails to adhere to its commitments.
The JCPOA was originally signed by Iran, the UK, France, Russia, China, Germany, and the US. However, President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the deal in 2018, citing Iran’s consistent violations. The available reports suggest that the remaining European parties are beginning to reinstate these sanctions. On August 18th, it was stated that the snapback process could automatically bring back these sanctions within a month, raising the specter that if they are lifted without negotiations, the JCPOA could lapse on October 18th.
Iranian state media covered Pezeshkian’s discussions with European leaders extensively, highlighting their attempts to persuade him to prevent sanctions rather than confront the political complexities of the JCPOA. During various meetings at the UN in New York, Pezeshkian allegedly asserted that dialogues with European countries would only hold significance if snapback sanctions were reimposed and if they influenced Iran’s actions.
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“We appreciate diplomatic dialogues to address this issue. However, if the snapback sanctions are triggered,” Pezeshkian told Swiss President Karin Keller Sutter, according to Iran’s media outlet. Presstv.
“Iran is prepared to engage on this matter in line with international law and its rights,” he further asserted. In a separate meeting with European Union official Antonio Costa, Pezeshkian stated, “Tehran is open to dialogue and finding solutions to ease concerns, aiming to prevent escalating tensions.” He also criticized those who threaten the JCPOA, hinting perhaps at Trump.
Reports from Iran’s Tasnim News Agency highlighted Pezeshkian’s concerns regarding a bilateral discussion with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Garne.
“Pezeshkian pointed out that negotiations lose importance when a snapback mechanism is activated,” Tasnim reported, adding that the West should uphold its commitments for meaningful negotiations, noting current tensions arise from Western failures to respect the 2015 agreement.
He argued that fears over Iran’s uranium enrichment stem from “misleading narratives propagated by the Israeli regime” but did not go into further details.
Nonetheless, these worries about Iran’s uranium enrichment are largely based on extensive IAEA monitoring efforts. IAEA Director Rafael Grossi highlighted in a June report that Iran’s lack of cooperation hindered verification processes by the agency.
“Iran has consistently failed to provide credible responses, has not answered agency inquiries, and has obstructed areas crucial for verification activities,” he noted, referring to sites engaged in nuclear research.
He concluded that these sites are “part of an undeclared nuclear program Iran had pursued up until the early 2000s, using some undisclosed nuclear material.”
“The organization reached the conclusion that Iran did not declare nuclear materials and related activities in three unidentified locations,” he added. “Consequently, the agency cannot ascertain whether the relevant nuclear material is properly safeguarded.”
Grossi’s findings prompted the IAEA to express condemnation toward Iran, leading to a resolution that week addressing its violations of international law. Only three nations, notably Iran’s allies Russia, China, and Burkina Faso, opposed the resolution. The snapback sanctions are a direct reaction to this resolution.
Amid discussions with other world leaders, Pezeshkian took the stage at the general assembly on Wednesday, declaring that Iran “will not endeavor to develop a nuclear bomb” and criticized those attempting to constrain Iran’s nuclear progress. Tehran has never clarified why it seeks to enrich uranium to levels far exceeding what is necessary for civilian energy purposes.
“We, the dignified people of Iran, have stood resolutely against unrestrained aggressors and navigated through injustice, discrimination, and double standards,” he proclaimed. “Today, this optimistic vision transforms our historical achievement into a foundation for a promising future.”
