Iran blamed the European powers for the failure of the 2015 nuclear deal, holding a trilateral meeting with China and Russia on Tuesday

On Monday, Iran blamed the European powers for the failure of the 2015 nuclear agreement, before resuming talks with the UK, France, and Germany in Istanbul, Iran accused these countries of breaking their commitments. Esmaeil Khatib, a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said before the talks with the UK, France, and Germany in Istanbul on Friday: "Iran believes the European parties are responsible for their negligence in implementing the agreement."

In 2015, Iran reached an agreement with the permanent members of the UN Security Council - the UK, China, France, Russia, the US, and Germany. The agreement imposed restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.

However, the agreement collapsed in 2018 when the United States unilaterally withdrew from it under President Trump's first term and reimposed comprehensive sanctions.

Despite Europe's commitment to continue supporting, the mechanism for lifting U.S. sanctions was never effectively implemented, forcing many Western companies to pull out of Iran, exacerbating its economic crisis.

Over the past few weeks, the three European countries have threatened to reimpose international sanctions on Tehran, accusing it of violating nuclear commitments.

AFP reported that Western countries led by the United States, supported by Iran's arch-enemy Israel, have long accused Tehran of secretly seeking nuclear weapons capabilities. Iran has repeatedly denied this, stating that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes such as energy production.

Germany stated that the Istanbul talks will be held at the expert level, and the three European countries will "do everything possible" to seek a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution.

Marin Gies, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry, said: "If no solution is reached by the end of August, the 'quick restoration' mechanism remains an option for the three European countries."

The spokesperson from the German Foreign Ministry referred to a clause in the 2015 agreement that allows for the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran through the 'quick restoration' mechanism if Iran fails to comply with the agreement.

However, the agreement will expire in October, with a tight deadline.

The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that Iran is currently the only non-nuclear state with uranium enrichment levels reaching 60%, far exceeding the 3.67% cap set by the 2015 agreement. This is just one step away from the 90% enrichment level required for nuclear weapons.

Khatib said in a press conference that using the 'quick restoration' clause was "meaningless, unreasonable, and immoral." He argued that Iran had started to drift away from the agreement because Western countries did not abide by the agreement.

He stated, "Iran's reduction of its commitments was carried out according to the terms outlined in the agreement."

Tehran will also hold a trilateral meeting with representatives from China and Russia on Tuesday to discuss nuclear issues and potential sanctions measures.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing will "continue to play a constructive role, promoting dialogue and negotiations among the relevant parties and achieving a solution that takes into account the reasonable concerns of all sides."

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838305197419785/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.