European powers France, Germany, and the UK have strongly criticized Iran for its nuclear activities, urging Tehran to reduce its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium. They label the move as a “nuclear escalation” and question the legitimacy of Iran’s claims that its program is for “peaceful” energy purposes.
Ahead of a UN Security Council meeting focused on Iran’s nuclear program, the three European nations issued a statement declaring that Iran’s actions lacked “credible civilian justification.” These concerns have heightened tensions in the ongoing dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, countered the criticism, shifting the blame to the West. He pointed to the US withdrawal from the 2015 Vienna Agreement under former President Donald Trump, which led to the re-imposition of sanctions on Tehran. Iran maintains that it is fully within its rights to continue its nuclear activities under the framework of the agreement.
