Iran Dismisses Push to Refer Nuclear File to UNSC

Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Esmaeil Baqaei said a draft resolution seeking action against Iran is based on a report issued by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, arguing that Western countries have repeatedly resorted to the IAEA chief whenever they fail to advance their objectives.

“We have faced this pattern before: whenever they run out of options, they turn to the Agency and Grossi,” he said.

Baqaei described the planned move as meaningless from several perspectives. He said that, from a legal standpoint, Western countries have claimed that the mechanism known as “snapback” has revived previous UN Security Council resolutions, but their current action contradicts that very claim.

He said this development effectively vindicates the position taken by Iran, China and Russia, which have maintained that the snapback mechanism is inapplicable.

The Iranian spokesperson also pointed to the loss of credibility of the three European countries involved in the process, while criticizing their demands as unreasonable.

He further stressed that the US itself is responsible for the current situation, including the IAEA’s lack of access to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“On the one hand, the US is the architect of this situation, and the reason the Agency does not have access is the crime committed by the US and the Zionist regime,” Baqaei said.

He added that the US and the Israeli regime have blocked the path to cooperation and are now turning to the IAEA.

Baqaei said the latest efforts demonstrate “ill will” and indicate that the parties behind them are seeking to further escalate tensions.

“Iran will certainly consider the necessary measures in response to any action,” he warned.

“Trying what has already been tried is a mistake,” the spokesperson concluded, using a Persian proverb to caution against repeating an approach that had already failed.