The UN Security Council held a meeting to discuss Russia and China's draft resolution which called for a six-month extension of Iran sanctions relief after JCPOA expires on Sunday.
The UNSC meeting kicked off with the Russian representative's speech, who criticized the US and three European countries known as E3 for their irresponsible approach towards Iran nuclear issue. He called for accepting the resolution to extend the Resolution 2231 to extend for six months to avert the snapback mechanism.
China's representative took the podium after the Russian ambassador who also lambasted the Western states for escalation regarding Iran nuclear issue ten years after the signing of the JCPOA.
Both Russian and Chinese diplomats stressed political means to resolve Iran nuclear file, highlighting that Iran had cooperated with the IAEA.
The French ambassador, for his part, accused Iran of not cooperating with the IAEA and rejected the resolution drafted by Russian and China.
China and Russia's draft resolution was rejected as it only gained four 'Yes' votes while it received nine 'No' votes in the council.
After voting, the Chinese representative took the podium again saying that the 2015 JCPOA deal has to be revived, blamed the 2018 US withdrawal for the failure of the JCPOA so far and escalation.
Other representatives including those of the UK, Germany, Algeria and Pakistan, as well as South Korea spoke in the meeting.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was also in the meeting. He was reported to be addressing the session later.
Araghchi later spoke and firstly thanked Russia, China, Algeria and Pakistan for their Yes votes to the China and Russia draft resolution.
Iran has long been a member of the NPT, Araghchi said, adding that the JCPOA was the result of 2 years negotiations that was finally signed in 2015.
He blamed the US withdrawal from the 2015 deal for the escalation. He said that Iran did not leave the deal after the US pullout.
The top Iranian diplomat said that the steps Iran took in reaction to the US illegall withdrawal were legal in accordance with the JCPOA. He lambasted the European parties for not abiding by their JCPOA obligations for the situation today surrounding the Iran nuclear deal. He said that during the talks for the JCPOA revival and later, the Europeans never delivered on their promises.
He said that the Israeli regime influnced the E3 by dictating its policies on them against Iran.
He said that Iran never seeks nuclear weapons as the Leade of the Islamic Revolution recently reiterated. Iran has not violated any deal so far, he continued.
Iran held 5 rounds of talks with the US before it and the regime of Israel attacked Iran.
He said that the US turned back on diplomacy while the Europeans buried it. Despite all these, Araghchi said, Iran remained loyal to diplomacy.
Araghchi noted that it was the US that brought diplomacy to a total failure.
He reiterated Tehran's position that the E3 move in activating the snapback mechanism was illigitimate. The Iranian minister further warned that the US and E3 with their move against Iran has to bear responsibility for the consequences.
Iran will never give in to pressures, Araghchi said, adding that Iran will respond if it is treated respectfully.
He further said that the illegal actions by the E3 will discredit the UN Security Council.
After speeches by French and Russian representatives, Araghchi took the podium again and said that the IAEA inspectors are still in Iran in accordance with the Cairo agreement reached with Rafael Grossi recently.
The top Iranian diplomat also said that Iran has constantly been ready to prove that its nuclear program is totally peacefull as its loyalty to the JCPOA showed, Mehr reported.
He said that Iran cannot trust the US for holding talks again as the spring talks resulted in the aggression. The US abused the talks and attacked Iran amid the talks, Araghchi said.
