The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement highlighting the expiration of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and its related provisions and restrictions, as well as the removal of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program from the Council’s agenda.
The statement stressed that with the end of the 10-year period set by Saturday’s resolution, Iran’s nuclear program should be treated like that of other non-nuclear weapon states under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Press TV reported.
From this point on, the country will be bound only by its rights and obligations under the NPT, and no additional restrictions will be imposed or recognized, it noted.
The statement emphasized that the original rationale for placing the Iranian nuclear issue on the Security Council’s agenda, namely verification of the peaceful nature of the relevant programs, has been fully achieved.
The ministry added that this assertion was supported by the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report did not indicate any diversion of the country’s nuclear activities to military purposes, despite political pressure from the United States and its European allies.
The statement also stressed that Iran has consistently complied with its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear deal approved by resolution 2231, despite facing severe sanctions, while Western countries have repeatedly breached their obligations.
“While Iran pursued transparency and compliance, the irresponsible withdrawal of the United States in 2018 and the failure of three European countries (UK, France, and Germany) to honor their commitments dealt a major blow to multilateral diplomacy,” the ministry said.
Apart from its illegal and unilateral withdrawal from the agreement, the United States reinstated sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran and continued to subject the country to even more coercive economic measures.
The three European countries have also suspended trade with Iran, in addition to refusing to honor their commitments to bring Washington back into the deal.
The statement further accused the Troika of taking a further step to trigger the JCPOA’s so-called “snapback” mechanism, which mandates the reimposition of Western allies and Security Council nuclear-related sanctions.
This incident served as a reminder that the trio forfeited all legal and moral rights to take this action due to non-commitment.
The ministry called on the UN Secretary-General to immediately correct incorrect information posted on the UN website regarding the alleged reinstatement of expired Security Council resolutions regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The statement further said that any attempt to re-establish the Security Council’s sanctions committee or committee of experts would be unlawful, and called on all UN member states to reject the claims of the United States and Europe to reinstate the defunct resolution.
Elsewhere in the statement, the ministry strongly condemned the illegal and unprovoked war against Iran by the Israeli regime and the United States in June, which damaged the country’s peaceful nuclear facilities and claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people, including infants.
The government described the attack as a “betrayal of diplomacy and a blatant violation of international law and the NPT framework,” noting that it led to the destruction of nuclear and other infrastructure and seriously disrupted Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA.
Meanwhile, the ministry expressed its appreciation for the responsible stand of China, Russia, Algeria and Pakistan in opposing Europe’s abuse of the JCPOA’s “dispute mechanism”.
Last month, countries voted against a resolution aimed at delaying the “snapback” mechanism, which the United States and its allies vetoed.
The statement also acknowledged the abstentions of South Korea and Guyana on the draft resolution.
It also expressed its gratitude to members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Friends of the United Nations Charter, who supported the termination of resolution 2231 on Thursday and late last month, respectively.
The ministry concluded its statement by reaffirming Iran’s commitment to diplomacy, while resolutely defending the legitimate rights and interests of the Iranian state, including the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
MNA/