Russia Criticizes US Withdrawal from Iran Nuclear Deal
On Thursday, Russia condemned former President Donald Trump’s choice to pull the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal from 2015. Russian officials claimed that this decision was responsible for Iran’s failure to comply with the international accord.
This statement followed the U.K., France, and Germany (the E3) notifying the U.N. Security Council that they had activated measures to reinstate strict U.N. sanctions on Iran within 30 days, citing Tehran’s breach of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the U.N., remarked, “The United States abandoned the JCPOA, and since then the situation has worsened.” He emphasized that the main cause of the current issues dates back to 2018, referring to Trump’s exit from the JCPOA amid allegations of Iranian violations.
Despite Trump alleging ongoing violations by Iran, international watchdogs, like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), affirmed that no signs of Iran expanding its nuclear program emerged until 2019, which they continue to support.
Polyanskiy stated, “Iran’s actions regarding uranium enrichment were responses to the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA,” suggesting that these measures could easily change.
In an effort to extend the nuclear deal deadline, Russia and China proposed a new resolution at the U.N. Security Council, seeking an additional six months before imposing sanctions on Iran. However, following Iran’s previous rejection of a similar proposal from E3 negotiators in July, it seems challenging to gain support from the U.S., U.K., or France, all permanent members of the Council.
The U.S. has frequently urged other signatories to reinforce sanctions on Iran after its exit from the agreement in 2018. Although evidence points to Iran violating the JCPOA terms—like accumulating up to 45 times the allowed amount of enriched uranium—the Russian diplomat argued that the E3’s recent actions should not carry any legal weight.
“This is merely an escalatory move,” he claimed, criticizing Western nations for prioritizing threats and coercion over diplomatic solutions. A U.K. official noted ongoing diplomatic efforts with Iran, sharing that proposals had been made back in 2022, which all JCPOA participants acknowledged, but Iran chose to not accept.
Polyanskiy underscored that the world stands at a significant junction, offering two paths: one toward peace and diplomacy, and another leading to intimidation and extortion. The White House has yet to respond to inquiries regarding this issue.
