Iran warns EU against unconstructive behavior in sanctions-removal talks

Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi says the parties to negotiations to remove anti-Iran sanctions must avoid politicized and unconstructive behavior.

In a 90-minute phone conversation with his French counterpart Emanuel Macron on Saturday, Raeisi said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly verified Tehran's full compliance with its legal commitments as per the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

He said certain European countries' miscalculation in dealing with the Iranian nation is rooted in being caught in the trap of false information spread by terrorist, separatist and opposition groups.

The Iranian president placed a premium on avoiding interference in the domestic affairs of countries and respecting the principle of national sovereignty.

Iran showed to the world the peaceful nature of its nuclear program by signing the JCPOA, with six states, namely the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China. However, Washington’s unilateral withdrawal in May 2018 and its subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran left the future of the deal in limbo.

Negotiations started in the Austrian capital city of Vienna in April 2021, with the intention of removing anti-Iran sanctions and examining the United States’ seriousness in rejoining the accord.

The talks, however, have been stalled since August 2022 due to Washington’s insistence on not removing all the sanctions and its failure to offer necessary guarantees that it will not abandon the deal again.

Europe should avoid ‘provocative, unconstructive’ approach to JCPOA revival: Iran envoy

Iran’s permanent representative at the United Nations office in Vienna has called on the European governments to avoid adopting “provocative and unconstructive attitudes” to the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear program and work towards the resolution of disputes.

In a statement at a session of the IAEA's Board of Governors on June 7, Iran’s permanent representative at the United Nations office in Vienna Mohsen Naziri Asl urged the European governments to avoid “provocative and unconstructive attitudes” towards the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear program and work towards the resolution of disputes.

Raeisi and Macron also exchanged views on ways to improve relations and the latest developments in the region.

On the conflict in Ukraine, the Iranian president said Tehran was against war and believed diplomacy would be the best solution.

Macron, for his part, said Paris was keen to boost engagement with Tehran and called for the continuation of the talks between the two sides.

The French president said the sanctions-removal talks should continue until the sides reach a conclusion. He said Iran is a part of the solution to the crisis in Ukraine and called for Tehran's greater role in this regard.

Earlier in the day, Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president's deputy chief of staff for political affairs, said in a post on Twitter that the Iranian and French presidents agreed on a roadmap for further engagement.

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