Iran Regrets E3 Decision, But Still Opens Dialogue Opportunities

Iran's uranium enrichment facility. (Source: IRNA)

JAKARTA - Iran regrets Britain, France and Germany's decision to launch a process to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran's nuclear program, but still opens up opportunities for dialogue.

The move of the three countries known as E3, part of the 2015 Nuclear Deal, is feared to trigger tensions with Iran.

A senior Iranian official accused the three European powers of damaging diplomacy, pledging Tehran would not bow to pressure over E3's move to launch the so-called "shuffle mechanism".

A senior Iranian official told Reuters the decision was "illegal and regrettable", but still opened up opportunities for dialogue.

"This move is an act that opposes diplomacy, not an opportunity for it. Diplomacy with Europe will continue," the official said.

"Iran will not give up under pressure," he added.

Iran had previously warned of a "hard response" if sanctions were reinstated, and the Iranian official said it was reviewing its options, including withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

As previously reported, Panama, which holds the post of president of the UN Security Council for August, confirmed Germany and France have started the process of reimposing sanctions against Iran following the failure of negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.

"Yes, they have sent an official letter informing their request to activate a snapshot," a spokesman for Panama's permanent mission to the United Nations told reporters, quoted by TASS.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet behind closed doors on Friday at E3's request to discuss snapback measures against the Islamic Republic, diplomats said.

Previously, Iran and E3 had held several rounds of negotiations since Israel and the US bombed its nuclear installation in mid-June, with the aim of agreeing to postpone the snapshot mechanism.

However, E3 assessed that the negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday did not produce an adequate signal of readiness for a new deal from Iran.

The E3 acted on Thursday on charges Iran had violated the 2015 Nuclear Deal aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear weapons capabilities in exchange for lifting international sanctions.

It is known, E3, together with Russia, China, and the United States, are parties to the agreement.

US President at the time, Trump, withdrew Uncle Sam's country from the agreement in 2018 during his first term, calling the deal unilateral in Iran's favor, and the deal fell apart in the following years as Iran ignored the limits set on enrichment of its uranium.

President Trump's second administration held indirect negotiations that yielded no results earlier this year with Tehran.

E3 said it hoped Iran would engage by the end of September to ease concerns about its nuclear agenda adequately so they could delay concrete action.

"E3 is committed to using every available diplomatic tool to ensure Iran has never developed nuclear weapons," including a snapshotback mechanism, they said in a letter sent to the UN Security Council and seen by Reuters.

Separately, Russia and China, Iran's strategic ally, completed a draft Security Council resolution on Thursday which will extend the 2015 nuclear deal for six months and urged all parties to immediately resume negotiations.

However, they have not asked for a vote.

"The world is at a crossroads," the Deputy Ambassador of Russia to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy told reporters.

"One option is peace, diplomacy, good intentions. The other option is a kind of direct diplomacy.

Iran has enriched uranium to 60 percent fissile purity, near the 90 percent level of bomb purity, and has enough enriched material to that extent, if further curvature, for six nuclear weapons, before Israeli airstrikes began on June 13, according to the IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog body.

However, actually, producing weapons would take longer, and the IAEA has said although it cannot guarantee Tehran's nuclear program is completely peaceful, they have no credible indication of a coordinated weapons project.

The West said Iran's progress in the nuclear program exceeded civilian needs, while Tehran said it wanted nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes.