The European Union said diplomatic engagement with Iran is essential after harsh criticism by some western circles which have leveled human rights allegations against new Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, over the EU’s decision to dispatch a senior diplomat to Tehran to attend his inauguration.
Raisi was sworn in as president in a ceremony attended by foreign dignitaries in Tehran on Thursday. He won a comfortable majority in the June presidential election.
During the ceremony at the Iranian parliament, he stressed the need to see international sanctions on Iran lifted through diplomatic means.
But he also signaled that the Islamic Republic is determined to remain a powerful player on the international stage.
“Wherever there is oppression and crime in the world,” he said, “in the heart of Europe, in the US, Africa, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, the message of the [2021] election was resistance against arrogant powers.”
Despite the controversy, Enrique Mora, secretary-general of the European External Action Service, flew in to attend the ceremony in Tehran.
Mora is the EU coordinator for talks with Iran over a possible US return to 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Talks in Vienna on reviving the agreement, which would see harsh sanctions on Iran lifted in exchange for limits on its nuclear enrichment activity, ground to a halt after the presidential election in June.
EEAS spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said on Wednesday that Enrique Mora was attending the event on behalf of the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, Euronews reported.
Important Messages
“It is crucial to engage diplomatically with the new administration and to pass directly important messages,” she said, adding the EU’s key priority was “to facilitate the way back to full JCPOA implementation.”
Meanwhile, The United States on Thursday urged Iran’s new president to return to talks on both nations resuming compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, repeating the US stance that the window for diplomacy would not stay open forever, Reuters reported.
Iran has been negotiating with major powers to revive a deal abandoned three years ago by then US president Donald Trump, who said it was too soft on Tehran. The last round of talks in Vienna ended on June 20.
“Our message to President Raeisi is the same as our message to his predecessors … the US will defend and advance our national security interests and those of our partners. We hope that Iran seizes the opportunity now to advance diplomatic solutions,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
“We urge Iran to return to the negotiations soon so that we can seek to conclude our work,” Price added during a regular briefing.
He said “this process cannot go on indefinitely” and at some point the benefits of reviving the 2015 agreement will have been eroded by the advancements of Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran began exceeding the nuclear curbs set out in the pact by conducting nuclear activities that were barred under the deal in response to the US withdrawal from the deal and reimposition of tough sanctions on Tehran.
