BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 27. The Council just voted on a draft by China and Russia to give diplomacy another chance. Under U.S. pressure, the Council refused. This is the second time in one week that diplomacy has been blocked, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said in a statement to the media, Trend reports.
Araghchi noted that he highlighted several points in his address to the Council.
"For over twenty years, Iran has been a responsible member of the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty). We pursued our inalienable right to peaceful nuclear energy with transparency.
In 2015, after two years of talks, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) was reached. It was endorsed unanimously by Resolution 2231.
The IAEA issued 15 consecutive reports confirming Iran’s full compliance. No other nuclear program has been inspected more," he said.
Araghchi stressed that the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, in violation of Resolution 2231, without a legal basis, and the European trio’s inaction forced Iran to gradually reduce restrictions.
“Today’s crisis is the direct result of U.S. withdrawal and Europe’s inaction. The U.S. betrayed diplomacy. The E3 buried it.
For years, the U.S. and the E3 misrepresented Iran’s peaceful program. They echoed Israel’s false claims — even as Israel maintains the region’s only nuclear arsenal, outside the NPT. The double standard is glaring.
Despite assassinations, sanctions, and bombings of IAEA-monitored facilities, Iran has not violated the JCPOA, the NPT, or our Safeguards obligations.
When the former U.S. administration called for dialogue, Iran responded in good faith.
Five rounds of talks were held. On the eve of the sixth, Israel — with U.S. backing — attacked nuclear facilities in Iran and murdered our scientists, including women and children. This was state terrorism. It was never condemned by the E3.
Instead of diplomacy, the E3 pursued snapback. Iran, by contrast, signed a new memorandum with the IAEA on 9 September in Cairo. It was welcomed by the Agency and the international community. But in New York, all of Iran’s constructive proposals were ignored.
Russia and China acted responsibly. They proposed a six-month extension of Resolution 2231 to preserve diplomacy. The E3 and the U.S. blocked it. Their words and actions do not match. Their goal is confrontation, not dialogue,” he said.
Addressing the snapback mechanism, he called it illegal, invalid, and without merit, noting that the E3, having breached the deal, cannot claim “significant non-performance." The restrictions under Resolution 2231 are set to expire on October 18, 2025, and any attempt to revive or extend them is null and void.
Araghchi further stated that Iran urges the Security Council chairman to declare today’s decision unlawful and calls on the Secretary-General to abstain from any involvement in reinstating expired sanctions. Those pursuing this illegal course will bear full responsibility for undermining the credibility of the UN and for the resulting humanitarian consequences for the Iranian people.
"This dangerous precedent must not stand. If agreements can be broken at will, no nation can trust international commitments. If unlawful measures are enforced by power instead of law, the Security Council itself will lose authority.
Let me end with this: military attacks have failed. Snapback will fail, too. The only solution is dialogue. The JCPOA proves this.
Iran will never bow to pressure. We respond only to respect. The choice is clear — escalation or diplomacy.
The responsibility lies with those who broke their commitments and undermined international law,” the FM concluded.
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