“If the snapback is eventually implemented, the agreement with the agency will be null and void,” Araghchi told reporters upon arriving in New York on Monday to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The top diplomat said he would meet with Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to discuss the latest developments in Iran’s nuclear program and the status of cooperation between Tehran and the atomic agency.
He pointed out that the deal with the IAEA—a technical framework aimed at potential resumption of inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites—was signed in Cairo earlier this month under “new conditions” created by the US-Israeli attacks on the country’s nuclear sites.
He cautioned that the “snapback” of UN sanctions would usher in new conditions yet again, which would prompt a response from Iran and further change its relationship with the IAEA.
“Our cooperation with the agency has taken place under post-aggression conditions,” he said. “If snapback proceeds, we will face a new reality.”
Araghchi also confirmed plans to meet with most of his European counterparts during his visit to New York. “The other parties must now decide whether they choose cooperation or confrontation,” he said.
IRNA