Europe Is Fueling Global Tensions

Iran Says European Countries Are Undermining Diplomacy

“Iranians were already put off by Germany's Nazi-style backing of genocide in Gaza,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says. Photo credit: Mohamed Abd El Ghany

By failing to condemn Israel’s unprovoked aggression against Iran, various European countries have revealed their “destructive approach” to international politics, which increases the risk of global tensions and reduces reliance on diplomacy, said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone conversation with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on 4 July.

The international community must criticize their repeated violations of international law and the UN charter and hold the US and Israeli regime accountable for such acts, Araghchi emphasized, as reported by the IRNA.

Araghchi also rebuffed objections raised by European countries to Iran’s decision to suspend its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Accusing it of aiding Israel’s illegal attacks, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an order on Wednesday suspending his country’s cooperation with the IAEA. The order was based on a law passed by the Iranian parliament last month.

Criticizing Iran’s move to suspend its cooperation with the IAEA, the German foreign office issued a statement on Wednesday claiming the move “sends a devastating message” by eliminating “any possibility of international oversight of the Iranian nuclear program.”

Replying to German criticism, Araghchi said that what truly sends a “devastating message” to Iranians is “Germany’s explicit support for Israel’s unlawful attack on Iran, including safeguarded nuclear sites” along with its “shameful support” for the “unlawful US attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities, which violated international law, the NPT (Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty) and the UN charter.”

Araghchi also claimed that Germany’s support for Israel, which is not a signatory of the NPT, and its insistence that Iran should have “zero enrichment” is a violation of its own commitments under both the NPT and Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Germany is one of the signatories of the JCPOA, which was signed in 2015 between Iran and six other countries: the US, the UK, France, China, and Russia. The signatories of the UN-approved treaty had agreed on Iran’s right to enrich uranium to 3.67% with international oversight in exchange for relief from international sanctions.

German malice towards Iranian people

“The explicit German support for the bombing of Iran has obliterated the notion that the German regime harbors anything but malice towards Iranians,” Araghchi declared.

Israel launched unprovoked aggressions targeting several cities and nuclear sites in Iran on 13 June. According to the latest data, more than 900 Iranians, including renowned scientists and top military officials, were killed and over 5,000 others were injured in Israeli attacks which continued until 23 June. The US joined the Israeli strikesand bombed three of Iran’s nuclear sites on 22 June.

Germany completely failed to criticize the Israeli attacks. Instead it claimed Israel’s “right to defend itself” and condemned Iran’s retaliations instead. On 17 June, German chancellor Friedrich Merz even defended the Israeli attacks saying, “the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us.”

Araghchi argued that Germany’s position during the Israeli war only confirms its government’s moral bankruptcy, in addition to its “Nazi-style” backing of the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza for over 20 months now.

Araghchi also questioned Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs, who demanded on Tuesday that negotiations to “end Iran’s nuclear program should restart” as soon as possible.

Araghchi stated that by insisting on ending Iran’s nuclear program, the Europeans have forgotten their own commitments to the NPT, JCPOA, and UN Security Council resolution 2231. All of these agreements protect Iran’s right to have a peaceful nuclear program.

If the elimination of Iran’s nuclear program is their goal, “the participation and role of the EU and its member states, plus UK, in any future negotiation would be irrelevant and therefore meaningless,” Araghchi added.