Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref vowed that Tehran will not bow to pressure despite a UN mechanism that could restore sanctions over alleged noncompliance with the 2015 nuclear deal. Britain, France and Germany initiated the snapback on August 28; it will take effect in 30 days and leaves a window for negotiations. The E3 ministers said they will use the 30-day period to engage with Iran on an extension offer or other diplomatic efforts to restore compliance and emphasized that Iran must never seek, acquire or develop a nuclear weapon. Iran may nevertheless face limited options because of economic strain and isolation, Aref questioned the E3's legal authority, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged use of the 30-day window for diplomacy.
Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has vowed that Tehran will not "bow to pressure" despite the impending triggering of a UN mechanism that would restore sanctions over its alleged "grave noncompliance" of the 2015 nuclear deal. "We are not volunteering for sanctions, but this time, too, the Iranian people will neither back down nor bow to pressure," Aref said on August 31 during a weekly cabinet meeting, according to the ISNA news agency.
The E3 foreign ministers said, "We will use the 30-day period to continue engaging with Iran regarding our extension offer or any meaningful diplomatic efforts to restore its compliance with commitments." They emphasized that they "share the fundamental objective that Iran must never seek, acquire, or develop a nuclear weapon." Despite the defiant talk, Tehran may have few alternatives than to negotiate in hopes of fending off the sanctions, given the state of its economy and isolation from much of the world economy following previous rounds of sanctions.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on August 29 rejected Tehran's assertion that the E3 did not have the authority to trigger the mechanism and said the 30-day window before the sanctions took effect provided an "opportunity" for diplomacy. "We have these 30 days to sort things out," she told reporters.
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