Iran’s UN Envoy: EU3, US Bear Full Responsibility for Undermining Resolution 2231

Addressing a UN Security Council session on “Implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015)”, held in New York on September 19, Saeed Iravani praised the member states that opposed “politics of coercion” and reaffirmed Tehran’s clear stance that the resolution must be implemented exactly as agreed. He warned that the E3’s August 28 notification is legally void, politically motivated, and a reckless move that rewards violators while punishing the compliant, leaving the US and its European allies fully responsible for the crisis they have manufactured.

The full text of his statement is as follows:

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Mr. President,

At the outset, allow me to express deep appreciation to those Council members, including Algeria, China, Pakistan, and the Russian Federation, who have rejected the politics of coercion and upheld the principles of diplomacy, justice, and law. Their vote today showed true commitment to diplomacy. Their position today sends a clear message: conflicts must be resolved through dialogue, not through the blunt instruments of pressure and intimidation. They have chosen to stand on the right side of history.

Mr. President,

Iran’s position is clear and consistent: Resolution 2231 must be implemented exactly as agreed. Its timelines are not suggestions; they are binding commitments, painstakingly negotiated and unanimously endorsed by this Council. Any attempt by the E3 to reimpose sanctions already terminated is not only baseless but a direct assault on international law and the credibility of the Security Council itself.

Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA were hard-won achievements after more than a decade of negotiations. They settled all concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, confirming its exclusively peaceful character. Iran implemented the deal in full and in good faith. No other nation has ever subjected itself to such rigorous, intrusive verification by the IAEA. We kept our word. The US, E3/ EU did not.

It was the United States that unilaterally tore up the agreement in 2018, reimposing sanctions in open defiance of this Council. It was the E3 that failed to meet their obligations, hiding behind empty promises while quietly following Washington’s lead and instructions. And now, in a striking display of hypocrisy, they claim that Iran must be punished for measures we took only after years of enduring their violations.

Mr. President,

We categorically reject the E3’s notification of 28 August 2025. It is procedurally invalid, politically motivated, and legally void. By bypassing the JCPOA’s Dispute Resolution Mechanism, the E3 have shredded the very framework they claim to defend. Worse still, parties long in material breach cannot suddenly present themselves as guardians of compliance. This is not legal or law; it is opportunism camouflaged as legality.

Iran’s remedial measures were neither reckless nor unilateral. They were calibrated, transparent, and fully consistent with our rights under the JCPOA. To twist these lawful actions into a pretext for snapback is to reward violators and punish the compliant — a perverse inversion of justice that undermines the Council itself.

Mr. President,

This travesty unfolds against the backdrop of blatant aggression. Iran’s safeguarded nuclear facilities have been attacked — not in secret, but openly — by Israel, a rogue regime, and by the United States, a depositary of NPT. Facilities under IAEA monitoring were bombed in violation of every principle of international law and the very foundations of the non-proliferation regime. And yet, instead of condemnation, we witness silence — worse, justification — from the very states now lecturing Iran about obligations. What clearer evidence of double standards and hypocritical behaviors could there be?

Despite this, Iran did not abandon diplomacy. On 9 September in Cairo, we reached an understanding with the IAEA to resume cooperation, a significant and forward-looking step. But rather than seizing this opportunity, the U.S. and E3 dismissed it, exposing the gulf between their rhetoric and their true intentions. They speak of dialogue while strangling it; they proclaim support for diplomacy while burying it under threats.

This reckless step undermines dialogue, rewards aggression, and sets a dangerous precedent.

The E3 and the U.S., in coordination with Israel, are spreading false claims that Iran’s nuclear program threatens peace and security. This is a fabrication. Iran has not breached the JCPOA, the NPT, or its Safeguards obligations. Our nuclear program remains entirely peaceful.

Mr. President,

Even the impartiality of this Council has been compromised. Under pressure from certain permanent members, the presidency ignored the requirement to take into account the views of all participants — including Iran, Russia, and China — before presenting today’s draft resolution. This requirement is explicitly stated in Paragraph 11 of Resolution 2231 and even in the president's draft. Yet, in practice, the President of the Council disregarded this language, violated the neutrality of the Council, and effectively endorsed the E3 notification by both introducing the draft and calling for a vote, without ensuring that the positions of China, Iran, and Russia, as true participants of JCPOA, were duly reflected.

This was not consensus-building; it was coercion. The result is a decision imposed on the Council, not owned by it.

In conclusion, Mr. President, I wish to state Iran’s firm position:

First, today’s action is hasty, unnecessary, and unlawful. Iran recognizes no obligation to implement it.

Second, the responsibility for its grave consequences lies squarely with the United States and the E3, who fabricated allegations against Iran while enabling Israel’s criminal attacks on safeguarded facilities.

Third, this act, with no consensus, weakens the Council, undermines diplomacy, and jeopardizes the non-proliferation regime.

Fourth, Iran’s nuclear program will not be destroyed by bombs, halted by sanctions, or diverted from its peaceful path. The door of diplomacy is not closed — but it will be Iran, not its adversaries, who decides with whom and on what basis to engage.

Mr. President,

Today, the Council has squandered an opportunity for dialogue and consensus. Russia and China, acting in good faith, tabled a balanced initiative to extend resolution 2231 and preserve diplomacy.

Instead of embracing this path of reason, the United States and the E3 chose escalation, pressure, and division. This contradiction between their rhetoric and actions proves, once more, their real intention is not diplomacy but escalation.  They must now bear full responsibility for the crisis they have manufactured.

Let there be no doubt: Iran will remain steadfast in defending its sovereignty, its rights, and the peaceful character of its nuclear program. We will not yield to coercion. We will not be intimidated by unlawful threats. And we will not allow this Council to be misused as an instrument of injustice.

Thank you, Mr. President./tasnim