ALWAGHT- According to a senior Iranian envoy, the Tehran–IAEA agreement reached in Cairo will be scrapped should UN sanctions be reinstated or the snapback provision enforced.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi criticized European efforts to reinstate UN Security Council resolutions against Iran, despite what he described as Tehran’s maximum cooperation with both the European Troika and the IAEA. He noted that a draft resolution seeking to permanently lift sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program was voted down, but warned that UN sanctions could be reimposed by September 28 if no diplomatic breakthrough is achieved.
Gharibabadi stressed that Iran, along with Russia and China, has provided detailed legal arguments rejecting the legitimacy of the snapback mechanism. He underlined that Iran has consistently favored diplomacy and interaction to avert escalation, but cautioned that if sanctions return, Tehran would have no choice but to suspend its recently concluded cooperation agreement with the IAEA in Cairo. That deal, reached between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, outlined steps to resume monitoring after Iran’s parliament mandated restrictions on cooperation in response to attacks on its nuclear facilities.
While urging vigilance against what he described as Western “psychological operations,” Gharibabadi signaled that Iran may take additional retaliatory measures if sanctions are restored. However, he also emphasized that diplomatic channels remain open, and that Tehran will continue engaging in dialogue even amid tensions. This dual approach, he suggested, reflects Iran’s willingness to pursue negotiations while preparing for stronger countermeasures if international pressure intensifies.
