By Parisa Hafezi and John Irish
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Iran insists diplomacy is the only way to resolve a decades-long nuclear dispute with the West, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian state TV on Monday, adding it was time for the West to choose “cooperation or confrontation.”
Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, launched a 30-day process on August 28 to reimpose U.N. sanctions, accusing Tehran of failing to abide by a 2015 deal with world powers aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Araqchi said he will meet with his European counterparts and the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi in New York this week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.
Two European diplomats told Reuters the meeting will be on Tuesday.
“They have tested Iran repeatedly and know we do not respond to the language of pressure and threat,” Araqchi said. “I hope we can find a diplomatic solution in the coming days, otherwise Tehran will take appropriate measures.”
The European powers have offered to delay reinstating sanctions for up to six months – to give diplomacy a chance – if Iran restores access for U.N. nuclear inspectors to its nuclear sites, addresses concerns about its stock of enriched uranium, and resumes talks with the United States.
If Tehran and the E3 fail to reach a deal on an extension by the end of September 27, then all U.N. sanctions will be reimposed on Iran where the economy already struggles with crippling sanctions reimposed since 2018 after President Donald Trump ditched the pact during his first term.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that Iran would overcome any reimposition of U.N. sanctions, but one insider said mounting discontent among many Iranians at the state of the economy was rattling the Islamic Republic, with little sign that its leaders have the answers.
Soon after the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites in June, Iran’s parliament passed a law suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and stipulating that any inspections must be approved by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
However, the IAEA and Tehran reached a deal on September 9 on resuming inspections at nuclear sites.
(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Howard Goller)
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