A senior Iranian diplomat has accused European nations of abandoning their mediating role in the ongoing nuclear agreement dispute, claiming they now follow Washington’s lead rather than pursuing independent diplomacy.
In a published commentary, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Europe’s approach to Iran’s nuclear program has shifted dramatically over the past two decades. “Europe once served as a moderating influence in our region, but currently accommodates American policy disruptions,” he wrote.
The criticism comes after Britain, France, and Germany—collectively known as the E3—recently activated a dispute mechanism under the 2015 nuclear accord. This procedure, established to address compliance issues, could potentially restore United Nations sanctions against Tehran.
Araghchi dismissed the European move as legally invalid, arguing it ignores the sequence of events that led to current tensions. “The three nations want the international community to overlook that the United States, not Iran, initially withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” he asserted, using the formal name for the nuclear agreement.
The Iranian official also claimed European powers failed to meet their own commitments under the deal while criticizing Iran’s recent nuclear advancements. He suggested the E3’s actions represent a strategic miscalculation aimed at securing diplomatic leverage on unrelated matters.
“This approach will inevitably produce counterproductive results,” Araghchi warned, indicating Tehran’s openness to new diplomatic arrangements while condemning the current European strategy.
