TEHRAN – Tehran has condemned as illegal and unjustifiable a statement released by the Group of Seven (G7) in support of the reinstatement of sanctions against Iran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the G7’s backing for the invocation of annulled UN Security Council sanctions against Iran amounts to the group’s support for a move which is in violation of international law.

He said the Group of Seven has welcomed a move where the three European countries and the US brought back sanctions against Iran by abusing a mechanism originally formulated to settle differences over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“The Group of Seven’s stance will not be able to change the illegal and unjustifiable nature of the above-said move,” the spokesperson noted.

The spokesperson recalled the Israeli regime’s military aggression against Iran in the middle of diplomatic talks in coordination and collaboration with the US followed by Washington’s direct attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, dismissing as “a sheer lie and distortion of reality” the Group of Seven’s claim that “the three European countries and the US had, time and again and as a goodwill gesture, proposed diplomatic solutions to prevent a return to the past and achieve a comprehensive and lasting negotiated settlement.”

“Due to its illegal and unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 ensued by constant violations of international law with regards to Iran as well as obstructing the enforcement of the JCPOA, the United States is basically the root cause and main culprit behind the current situation,” said Baqaei.

“Moreover, due to following the US and failure to fulfil their commitments and supporting the US and the Israeli regime in the military aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations, the three European countries not only failed to make good on a major part of their obligations under the JCPOA, but also, with blatant malice, turned a blind eye to all of Iran’s initiatives and efforts for diplomacy,” the spokesperson explained.

Baqaei further touched upon the Group of Seven’s indifference toward the genocidal Israeli regime’s nuclear arsenal, describing as hypocritical the group’s approach vis-à-vis the non-proliferation issue.

“Because of their hypocritical and irresponsible performance with regards to the rule of law, peace and security, these seven countries are morally incompetent, whatsoever, to give advice to others,” he said.

In a statement, the Group of Seven announced the group comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, the United States and EU foreign policy chief backed the activation of the so-called snapback mechanism by the European Troika to re-impose UN Security Council Sanctions as well as other restrictions against Iran.

The group claimed the move was the result of Iran’s constant failure to live up to its commitments under the JCPOA.