Iran to Europe: Abandon 'Worn-Out' Policy of Threats
Iran's FM rejects EU "threats," demanding a "fair" deal for new nuclear talks, IRNA reports. The statement follows a European warning to restore UN sanctions if Iran does not show progress on its nuclear program by the end of August.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — Iran's Foreign Minister has pushed back firmly against European pressure over the country's nuclear program, calling on the EU and the E3 nations to abandon their "worn-out policy" of threats and stating that new talks are only possible if the West is ready for a "fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial" deal, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.
The statements from Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were posted on his X account on Friday following a joint teleconference with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Britain (the E3), along with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, IRNA reported.
Araghchi placed the blame for the breakdown in diplomacy on the United States, stating that it was the U.S., not Iran, that withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal. He also said it was the U.S. that "left the negotiation table in June this year and chose a military option instead," according to the IRNA report.
The Iranian official specifically dismissed threats of restoring UN sanctions, a mechanism known as "snap-back."
"If EU or E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly," Araghchi said, urging them to "put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the snap-back for which they lack absolutely no moral and legal ground."
I had a joint teleconference with E3 FMs & EU HR last night, in which I made the following points clear:
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) July 18, 2025
It was the US that withdrew from a two-year negotiated deal -coordinated by EU in 2015- not Iran; and it was US that left the negotiation table in June this year and chose a… pic.twitter.com/NFQdK2HZD4
A Deadline and the Threat of Sanctions
Foreign Minister Araghchi's remarks are a direct response to a coordinated effort by the U.S. and its European allies to pressure Tehran back to the negotiating table.
According to a Reuters report from Thursday, the E3 foreign ministers told Araghchi during their call that they would restore UN sanctions unless Iran reopened talks immediately and produced "concrete results" by the end of August.
This deadline was reinforced in a separate report by Axios, which stated that the U.S. and the E3 had agreed to trigger the "snapback" mechanism if no deal is reached by the end of August. The timing is critical, as the provision allowing for the automatic reimposition of all UN sanctions expires in October.
The diplomatic standoff follows years of turmoil over the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, from which the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew in 2018. In response, Iran gradually exceeded the pact's enrichment limits. Recent efforts to revive the deal have stalled, particularly after U.S. and Israeli military strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago, leading to the departure of UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) inspectors from the country.
