Tehran is considering various responses should Western sanctions be reactivated, according to Ebrahim Rezaei.
A senior Iranian legislator has cautioned that Iran might exit a significant nuclear weapons agreement and intensify uranium enrichment endeavors if Western European states reinstate severe economic sanctions against the nation.
On Saturday, Ebrahim Rezaei, who serves as the spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told Tasnim news agency that the UK, France, and Germany would face repercussions if they triggered the snapback clauses outlined in the 2015 Iranian nuclear accord.
Rezaei stated that such an action would compel Iran to explore multiple retaliatory measures, such as withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), enriching uranium to purity levels exceeding 60%, and manufacturing and distributing advanced centrifuge equipment.
He further noted that Iran “has not yet fully utilized its capabilities and could pursue numerous other strategic alternatives if required.”
The NPT’s objective is to hinder the proliferation of nuclear armaments and encourage the peaceful application of nuclear power. Signed by 191 countries, it stands as one of history’s most extensively observed arms control pacts. Nevertheless, India, Pakistan, Israel, and South Sudan have never signed it; North Korea exited the treaty in 2003.
Rezaei’s comments follow an announcement earlier this month by France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who stated that Britain, France, and Germany have reached an agreement to reinstate UN sanctions on Iran by late August if substantial headway is not achieved in negotiations aimed at limiting Tehran’s nuclear program.
A significant impediment has been Iran’s choice to halt collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), thereby impeding the oversight of its nuclear operations. Tehran has charged the IAEA with issuing a prejudiced report, which Israel purportedly utilized as a pretext to initiate a twelve-day conflict against the Islamic Republic.
The previous month, Israel conducted a series of airstrikes, backed by the US, targeting Iranian nuclear and military installations, which provoked a retaliatory response from Tehran.
This assault occurred as nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran reached a stalemate; Washington insisted that Tehran completely cease uranium enrichment, contending that this capability could be employed to construct a nuclear weapon. Iran has rejected this demand, asserting its need for enrichment to power its civilian energy sector and disavowing any intentions to develop nuclear weapons.