Iran warns return of UN sanctions could suspend IAEA Cairo agreement

Iran has warned that the reinstatement of UN Security Council sanctions would lead to the suspension of its recent agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reached in Cairo.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Minister for Legal and International Affairs, said Tehran has a one-week window to prevent the sanctions from being reimposed, Caliber.Az reports via Mehr. 

“There is still a week left to prevent the return of sanctions, but if no special diplomatic effort is made and the sanctions are reimposed, halting the agreement with the Agency will be a logical and inevitable step," he stressed. 

Gharibabadi reminded that following the signing of the Cairo agreement, Iran’s foreign minister had made it clear that any "hostile action"—including the return of UN sanctions or the snapback mechanism—would be grounds for ending the agreement.

The remarks come as the UN Security Council prepares to vote on whether to reimpose sanctions on Iran that were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Britain, France, and Germany have pushed for the so-called snapback mechanism to be activated, accusing Iran of failing to honour its commitments.

On the Security Council vote, Gharibabadi said it was conducted under Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA but “lacked the necessary consensus.” He noted that four countries supported the motion, two abstained, and nine voted against.

The senior Iranian diplomat criticised Europe’s handling of the JCPOA, saying, “The three European countries and the European Union have never honored their obligations under the JCPOA. Since the US withdrawal from the deal in 2018, they have failed to implement any of their commitments.”

He added that the Europeans now allege Iran has not complied with its obligations and “using this pretext, have triggered the illegal snapback mechanism.”

Highlighting Tehran’s diplomatic efforts, Gharibabadi noted that Iran has “always acted rationally and responsibly, pursuing diplomacy with dignity and authority.”

He referred to the recent understanding between Iran and the IAEA in Cairo and a proposal presented by Iran’s foreign minister to the three European states, which “even the French president described as reasonable.”

"This proposal… could have resolved issues surrounding the snapback mechanism, but the Europeans rejected it with unfounded excuses," he added. 

Gharibabadi dismissed claims that Iran’s foreign minister lacked authority, stressing that the minister speaks “with the full backing of the Establishment.” He said Europe’s actions “not only weakens diplomacy but also demonstrates its alignment with America’s unilateral policies.”

On the potential impact of renewed UN sanctions, he said, “While the UN sanctions should not be ignored, they are not comparable to the unilateral sanctions Iran has endured throughout its history. Iran has already faced the harshest and most unjust unilateral sanctions.”

He described the UN sanctions as largely symbolic, cautioning against succumbing to “psychological warfare” from Western states and the US. Gharibabadi urged economic experts to provide clear analyses of the sanctions to the public to reduce their psychological impact.

Concluding, he said Iran’s next steps are being studied at senior policymaking levels, and “the decisions will be announced at the appropriate time.” He added that Iran “will act with full vigilance against hostile actions and will adopt proportionate responses.”

By Sabina Mammadli