Britain, France, and Germany expressed regret over Iran's decision to limit international inspections.
According to a joint statement from the three countries reported by AFP, they expressed sorrow over Iran's decision to restrict international inspections, urging Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The statement from the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, and France called on Iran to cancel all measures that reduce transparency and to stop its recent actions concerning the inspection of its reactors, cooperating with the IAEA. They considered Iran's recent actions to stop compliance with surprise inspections of its reactors a violation of the nuclear agreement.
The joint statement from London, Berlin, and Paris reaffirmed their attempts to maintain the Iranian nuclear deal through negotiations aimed at ensuring the return of Washington and Tehran to it. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell noted that the nuclear deal is a product of diplomatic efforts that they are proud of, and Iran adhered to it for a long time. Borrell stressed the need to get the nuclear deal back on track and to build trust among the parties involved.
Regarding relations with Russia, Josep Borrell revealed that the United States has asked the EU to coordinate its positions on Russia, noting that additional Russian figures will be added to the European sanctions list.
Earlier, Tehran announced that it is considering a proposal from the EU to participate in an informal meeting attended by the United States and other members of the nuclear deal, while an Iranian official confirmed that there was no meaning in returning to the agreement without confirming Washington's seriousness. Abbas Araghchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, stated that the country is examining the EU's proposal for a meeting involving Washington and Tehran.
On the other hand, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed on Sunday that the United States is ready to reach a binding agreement with Iran if it returns to complying with its obligations. Sullivan stated in press remarks that Iran has not yet responded to the negotiation invitation and that "it is isolated now, not the United States," adding that "the ball is now in its court." The U.S. official emphasized that the Biden administration believes that diplomacy is the best means to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and noted that Tehran has rejected cooperating with the IAEA in its efforts to ensure the Iranian program is not used for weapons production.
