European Troika: We Will No Longer Lift Sanctions Against the Islamic Republic

On Thursday, the three European countries that are members of the JCPOA announced in a joint statement their decision to discontinue the lifting of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. In their statement addressed to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UK, France, and Germany described this action as a "direct response to the serious and increasing non-compliance" of the Islamic Republic, in accordance with the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231. The European parties to the JCPOA, while appreciating the latest report from Rafael Grossi, the IAEA Director General, regarding Iran's nuclear activities, noted that the Islamic Republic's decision in September to revoke the inspectors' authorization for continued inspections in Iran indicates a "persistent" and "decisive" refusal by the Islamic Republic to cooperate with the Agency. They also highlighted concerns regarding the Islamic Republic's actions to prevent the activities of the "most experienced" nuclear inspectors. They pointed out that Iran's uranium enrichment has reached three times the amount needed for nuclear bomb production and 22 times the permissible limit under the JCPOA, adding that the Islamic Republic has also installed more advanced centrifuges in Natanz and continued to develop centrifuge infrastructure to increase its capabilities for producing enriched uranium, blatantly disregarding the provisions of the JCPOA. The European Troika, citing Grossi's report, stated that the production of heavy water, the amount of low-enriched uranium, and the production of stable isotopes are among the activities that the Agency is unable to monitor and verify. They reminded the Islamic Republic of their requests to resume full compliance with the JCPOA, noting that sustainable agreements were on the table in March 2022 and August 2022; however, in both cases, the Islamic Republic refrained from signing these agreements by raising "unacceptable demands far beyond the JCPOA" and instead continued to advance its nuclear capabilities. According to the European Troika, the Islamic Republic's decision to halt its commitments, including the Additional Protocol, and to remove the names of some inspectors from the list of authorized inspectors in Iran has seriously impacted the Agency's ability to carry out verification and monitoring activities regarding the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. The UK, France, and Germany pointed out the "deliberate" and "continuous" decision of the Islamic Republic to escalate its nuclear activities beyond all valid civilian justifications and in violation of its JCPOA commitments, stating that within the framework of the JCPOA and Security Council Resolution 2231, they will refrain from continuing the lifting of sanctions and have informed the JCPOA coordinator of this decision. They added that the Islamic Republic could de-escalate its nuclear program by stopping enrichment beyond 3.67% and reducing enriched uranium reserves above this level, resuming transparent actions according to the joint agreement of March 4, implementing the Additional Protocol again, and fully cooperating with the Agency. The three European countries in the conclusion of their statement emphasized their continued commitment to a diplomatic solution and their readiness to utilize all diplomatic leverage to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing nuclear weapons.