TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry has strongly reacted to a decision by the European Union and European trio (E3) not to lift the arms embargo against Iran, saying this move is “illegal” and contravenes their commitments under UN Security Council resolution 2231 that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the E3 - Britain, France, and Germany – said they would retain their sanctions in a “direct response to Iran’s consistent and severe noncompliance” with the nuclear accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The European sides said they will keep their sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program and its development of ballistic missiles.

The measures were to expire in October under a timetable spelled out in the nuclear deal signed in July 2005 between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Britain, France, China, Russia, and the U.S.) Germany, and the European Union.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, in response to the illegal exit of the United States (from the JCPOA) and reactivation of oppressive sanctions, took compensatory measures in accordance to paragraphs 26 and 36 of the JCPOA and these steps are completely in accordance to terms of the JCPOA,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The United States left the nuclear accord in May 2018 and returned economic and financial sanctions lifted under the agreement.  Yet, Iran remained fully loyal to the terms of the agreement for an entire year. After a year, Iran announced that its “strategic patience” was over and started to gradually remove bans on its nuclear activities.  However, Iran said if the European parties to the nuclear agreement compensate for the U.S. sanctions measures it will reverse its decisions. 

The Foreign Ministry said the decision by the EU and E3 not to abide by their commitments in reaction to Iran’s nuclear measures “is void of any logic”. 
It said Iran gave the European sides party to the nuclear deal a one-year time to take compensatory measures for the U.S. illegal sanctions and left the “window of diplomacy” open.

“It is unacceptable that the Union and the three European countries document their illegal move to Iran’s measures which have been quite legal and in reaction to the U.S. pullout (from the JCPOA) and inaction by the European Union and three European countries,” the ministry added.

Iran’s measures have been “quite lawful from a legal point of view and the Europeans themselves acknowledge it,” the ministry stated.
“Definitely,” the ministry said, “this move by the European sides will have a negative effect on the efforts to manage tensions and create a proper atmosphere for more cooperation.”  

It added the criteria for Iran are surely countries’ “actions and not words” and such a decision goes against the claims by the Europeans that they seek to create an atmosphere to “revitalize the JCPOA”.

“There is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran, under its rights, will give proper response to this illegal, provocative, and flagrant violation of the commitments by the European Union, France, Germany, and Britain,” the ministry said, adding their action goes against the terms of “the JCPOA and UN Security Council resolution 2231”. 

In concluding the statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, “We warn the European sides in regard to the application and adoption of tension-producing measures that will surely complicate the relations and negatively affect the process of cooperation, including the negotiations to lift sanctions.”