Takh-Ravanchi: In talks with E3, Iran insists on its ‘absolute’ enrichment right as per NPT

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi says Tehran insists on its “absolute” right to enrichment inside the country as per the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

News ID: ۲۰۰۱۶۲۵

26 July 2025

Takht-Ravanchi made the remark while speaking to reporters after the second round of talks between Iran and the European troika—France, Britain and Germany— in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday, which lasted more than three hours.

During the talks with the E3, he said, Iran raised the “important” issue of its rights in accordance with the NPT.

“Enrichment, which is among our absolute rights, should be continued inside the country,” added Takht-Ravanchi, who along with Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi led the Iranian negotiating team.

He said the removal of cruel sanctions was also discussed and the Iranian negotiators emphasized that “these sanctions should be terminated as soon as possible.”

Pointing to the issue of Europe’s intention to trigger the so-called snapback mechanism, Takht-Ravanchi added that the Iranian diplomats “clearly and explicitly” expressed their views in opposition to it.

He explained that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a recent letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, elaborated in detail on Tehran’s legal stance in this regard and ruled out the legal or moral authority of the European troika to trigger snapback sanctions against the country.

The letter has been registered with the United Nations and is now available to the members of the Security Council, he noted.

Takht-Ravanchi further said during the Istanbul meeting, the Iranian negotiators expressed their views about the Israeli-US acts of aggression against the Islamic Republic.

"We explained that this action by the [Israeli] regime and the United States is contrary to international law, inconsistent with any international norms and in violation of the United Nations Charter,” he added.

The Iranian diplomats also criticized the three European countries’ stance vis-à-vis the blatant aggression against the Islamic Republic.

In a post on his X account earlier in the day, Gharibabadi said Iran and the European troika agreed to continue discussions on sanctions relief and the nuclear issue.

He added that the Iranian negotiators held a “serious, frank, and detailed” discussion with Europeans about “the latest developments regarding the issue of sanctions lifting and the nuclear issue.”/isna