London, Feb 23 (AFP/APP): Britain, France and Germany on Tuesday said they “deeply regret” Iran’s decision to restrict site inspections by the UN’s nuclear watchdog after a US refusal to lift existing sanctions.
The three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran said they were “united in underlining the dangerous nature of this decision”.
“It will significantly constrain the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency’s) access to sites and to safeguards-relevant information,” they added.
The statement from the European nations follows criticism from Washington on Monday of Tehran’s decision to restrict IAEA access to sites.
“We urge Iran to stop and reverse all measures that reduce transparency and to ensure full and timely cooperation with the IAEA,” the UK, France and Germany said.
They added it was their objective to preserve the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for agreements on limits to its nuclear programme.
The European signatories, which stuck with the deal after the US withdrew under former president Donald Trump in 2018, said they would “support ongoing diplomatic efforts for a negotiated solution allowing for the return of Iran and the US to full compliance”.
Biden has signalled readiness to revive the nuclear deal but insists Iran first returns to all its nuclear commitments.
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