Iran says cooperation with IAEA “no longer relevant” after UN sanctions

• Iran says cooperation with the IAEA is no longer relevant after UN sanctions were reimposed.
• Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized Britain, France, and Germany for triggering the sanctions.
• Tehran accuses the IAEA of ignoring 'Israeli' attacks on its nuclear sites.
• Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and within NPT rights.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared on Sunday that Tehran’s cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog has lost its relevance, following the reinstatement of international sanctions against the country.

"The Cairo agreement is no longer relevant for our cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)," Araghchi said, referring to a deal signed with the UN agency in September to restore monitoring and inspections at Iranian nuclear facilities.

That agreement was meant to rebuild cooperation suspended earlier this year after 'Israeli' and US strikes targeted key Iranian nuclear sites in June.

However, the deal has now fallen apart after Britain, France, and Germany, the European signatories of the 2015 nuclear accord, triggered the “snapback” mechanism, reimposing UN sanctions over Iran’s alleged non-compliance.

Araghchi criticized the move, saying, "The three European countries thought they had a leverage in their hands, threatening to implement a snapback. Now they have used this lever and seen the results... the three European countries have definitely diminished their role and almost eliminated the justification for negotiations with them."

He added that the trio "will have a much smaller role than in the past" in any future diplomacy surrounding Iran’s nuclear file.

Tehran has accused the IAEA of double standards for failing to condemn 'Israeli' strikes on its nuclear infrastructure, despite Iran’s status as a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

While Western powers, led by the United States and supported by 'Israel', continue to accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, Tehran insists its nuclear program remains peaceful and within its NPT rights.

Some Iranian lawmakers have proposed withdrawing from the treaty altogether, though President Masoud Pezeshkian has reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to its obligations.

Araghchi said Tehran’s next steps regarding cooperation with the IAEA “will be announced”, without offering further details, but noted that “there is still room for diplomacy.”

Iran had been engaged in talks with Washington since April aimed at reviving a new nuclear agreement. But those negotiations collapsed after the June attacks on Iranian nuclear, military, and residential sites, which Tehran blamed on 'Israel'.

Iran has since accused the United States of sabotaging diplomatic efforts and demanded security guarantees and recognition of its rights before any potential return to negotiations.