“We hope that the approaches and policies of the [futur] American government will be realistic and based on respect for the interests (…) of the nations of the region, including the Iranian nation,” Esmaïl Baghaï said during his weekly press conference.
This declaration comes a few hours before the return to power in Washington of Donald Trump, architect of a so-called “maximum pressure” policy towards Iran during his first term (2017-2021).
Under the first presidency of Donald Trump, the United States withdrew in 2018 from the international agreement on Iranian nuclear power, concluded three years earlier and which offered Tehran relief from sanctions in exchange for a limitation of its ambitions. nuclear.
In retaliation for Washington’s withdrawal which reimposed heavy sanctions, Tehran significantly increased its reserves of enriched materials and raised the threshold to 60%, approaching the 90% necessary to manufacture an atomic weapon, according to the Agency’s definition. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Tehran, which has expressed its wish to relaunch negotiations to revive the agreement, defends a right to nuclear power for civilian purposes and denies wanting to acquire atomic weapons, something of which the West strongly suspects it.
UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 agreement between Iran and France, Germany, and the United Kingdom as well as the United States, Russia and China, expires in October 2025.
The three European countries discussed in December the possible use of the mechanism reimposing sanctions against Iran “to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons”.
“If this leverage is used abusively to put pressure on Iran or obtain concessions, our response will be reciprocal and proportionate,” Mr. Baghaï responded on Monday.
“Iran has made it clear that in this case there would no longer be any reason to remain in certain agreements,” he added, referring to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, warned in November that his country would “withdraw” from this treaty if the West decided to re-establish sanctions against Iran.
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