Iran (IMNA) – Speaking to Iranian media at the conclusion of his trip to Egypt—where the deal was finalized—Araghchi emphasized that the agreement’s implementation depends on the absence of any hostile measures against the Islamic Republic. He specifically mentioned that if the so-called snapback mechanism is triggered, the agreement will be suspended.
The term “snapback” refers to the automatic reinstatement of UN sanctions on Iran, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers. On August 29, France, Germany, and Britain, known as the E3, initiated the process to reactivate UN sanctions including a broad arms embargo and significant banking and shipping restrictions on Iran. Iran has strongly condemned this move, accusing these countries of succumbing to US influence after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018.
Araghchi clarified that the new deal with the IAEA accounts for the changed circumstances following the US attack on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities. He noted Iran’s longstanding cooperation with the Agency under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), highlighting that the Iranian nuclear program has always been peaceful and monitored by the Agency. However, due to the recent US aggression, the conditions of cooperation have shifted, requiring a new framework.
Central to the agreement is official recognition of these new realities and Iran’s security concerns, which the IAEA must legitimately consider. Araghchi also stressed that the document explicitly acknowledges Iranian Parliament legislation, ensuring that cooperation with the IAEA will be conducted within the framework of this law and in full coordination with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Importantly, the new agreement does not grant IAEA inspectors automatic access; the scope and nature of inspections and access will be determined through future negotiations. Araghchi described the agreement as a positive advancement that removes excuses used by certain parties for exploiting the situation for their own agendas.
He expressed hope that this deal will open the door to diplomatic solutions but underlined the necessity for sincerity and seriousness from the other parties involved. The agreement was signed on September 9 in Cairo by Araghchi and the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, following Iran’s suspension of cooperation with the Agency. This suspension was enacted pursuant to Iranian parliamentary law, passed as a response to an anti-Iran resolution adopted by the IAEA under Western and Israeli pressure, which was used to justify the US attacks in June.
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