Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani denounced the Group of Seven (G7) for their allegations concerning Iran's nuclear activities on Sunday, labeling them as "anti-Tehran". In response to a G7 communique released on Friday, Kanaani asserted in a statement that Iran's nuclear program is "exclusively peaceful," according to Xinhua News Agency.
Kanaani stressed that "peaceful" nuclear activities of Iran, in line with the provisions of the NPT and Safeguards Agreement, will continue undeterred by political pressures and "propaganda campaigns". He said that mention by the communique of the anti-Iran resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors reflects "the political approach pursued by those behind the resolution" and the "abuse" of international mechanisms by certain governments against independent states.
The communique called on Tehran to "cease and reverse nuclear escalations," to halt its ongoing process of "uranium enrichment activities," to engage in serious dialogue, to give credible assurances about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, to cooperate fully with the IAEA, and to abide by the means of monitoring and verification appointed by the agency, "including the Board of Governors' resolution of June 5."
The IAEA Board of Governors' resolution called on Iran to "step up cooperation with the IAEA and reverse its recent barring of inspectors."
Kanaani lamented that some politically motivated countries continue to make baseless and unverified claims to perpetuate the unsuccessful policy of sanctions on Iran. He advised the G7 members to abandon outdated, "destructive" policies and emphasized that the United States and the E3 group of France, Britain, and Germany should demonstrate their goodwill and desist from "futile politically-motivated" actions against Iran.
In July 2015, Iran signed a nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers including the United States and the E3 group, agreeing to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
However, in May 2018, the United States left the deal, sanctioning again, and Iran scaling back some of its nuclear commitments in response. Efforts for JCPOA's revival started in April 2021 in Vienna, but despite several rounds of negotiations, nothing tangible has come out since the last talks in August 2022.
