During the meeting, the two officials exchanged views on Iran’s nuclear issue, particularly in light of the recent irresponsible and unjustified actions by the three European countries --the UK, France and Germany-- seeking to reinstate previously revoked UN Security Council resolutions.
They also discussed the process of interaction between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Araqchi emphasized the illegality and inappropriateness of the European countries’ actions and reminded Kallas of her key responsibility as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, serving as the “coordinator of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA.”
He stressed that the EU is expected to fulfill its role under the JCPOA and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and to act to neutralize any moves against diplomacy.
The Iranian foreign minister also highlighted Tehran’s consistent commitment to diplomacy, underlining that Iran remains firm and steadfast in this approach.
Kallas, for her part, stated that diplomacy and negotiation are the only means to address the concerns of all parties and stressed the importance of giving diplomacy more time to succeed.
The two officials agreed to continue consultations in the coming days and weeks to advance dialogue.
In a new escalation, the European troika of the UK, France, and Germany (EU3) has formally sent a letter to the UN Security Council announcing the activation of the so-called snapback mechanism, a step that seeks to re-impose international sanctions on Iran. The announcement marks the most serious move yet by the three European states against Tehran since the US withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018.
Iranian officials have denounced the measure as illegal and politically motivated, stressing that Europe has no standing to invoke snapback after failing to fulfill its own commitments under the nuclear deal. Tehran has warned that such a step will compel a decisive reciprocal response, undermine cooperation with the IAEA, and severely damage the credibility of the Security Council itself.