GENEVA (Dispatches) -- Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said here Wednesday the three European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal are in violation of the accord and therefore lack the legal authority to activate its “snapback mechanism” and reinstate international sanctions against Tehran.
Reza Najafi, who represents Iran at the United Nations office and other international organizations in Vienna, made the remarks at the ongoing quarterly meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, which began in Vienna two days earlier.

Najafi emphasized that Iran’s nuclear activities—including uranium enrichment and stockpiling—remain entirely peaceful, are subject to IAEA safeguards verifications, and are aligned with Iran’s indisputable rights under the NPT.
Najafi reiterated that as a signatory to the NPT, Iran reserves the right to research, produce, and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, including uranium enrichment. Regardless of the scale of these activities, they cannot be deemed a serious concern, as all operations remain under the supervision of the IAEA, he added.
Furthermore, the envoy stressed that Iran remains committed to the NPT and has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, citing strategic calculations and a religious decree by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution banning such weapons.
Najafi emphasized that Iran has fulfilled its nuclear obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal and has even cooperated beyond the framework of the Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol.  
“Since the E3 has seriously violated Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, they are neither in a moral nor legal position to activate the snapback mechanism,” Najafi said, warning of serious consequences should the UN Security Council impose new sanctions.
E3 consists of Britain, France, and Germany. The JCPOA stands for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action which E3 signed along with the U.S., China and Russia with Iran.
“If such a scenario unfolds, Iran’s options will be firm, and the United States and the E3 will bear full responsibility,” he said.