In a series of high-stakes diplomatic meetings at the United Nations General Assembly, Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a stark warning to European powers, declaring that any re-imposition of sanctions would render diplomatic negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program pointless.

President @drpezeshkian, in continuation of the programs of the first day of his visit to New York, met with his Swiss counterpart, @keller_sutter, on Wednesday evening local time.#UNGA pic.twitter.com/n4UhvIauZ4

— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) September 25, 2025

President Pezeshkian’s remarks, delivered Wednesday during a meeting with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, came in response to the recent decision by the E3 group—Britain, France, and Germany—to trigger the “snapback” mechanism over alleged concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities.

“We welcome diplomatic talks to resolve the [nuclear] issue, but naturally, if the snapback mechanism is activated, dialogue will no longer be meaningful,” Pezeshkian stated, firmly linking the future of diplomacy to the West’s actions.

Asserting Iran’s peaceful intentions, the president pointed to a religious decree from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam sayyed  Ali Khamenei, that forbids nuclear weapons development. “Iran is ready to have this issue verified within the framework of international laws and its rights,” he emphasized.

The warning follows a failed UN Security Council resolution on September 19th that would have blocked the return of sanctions. Iran has rejected the E3’s move as “illegitimate,” accusing them of siding with the United States and Israel instead of honoring their commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). These allegations from Western powers persist despite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) never having found proof of a weapons program, even under what it calls the most intrusive inspections in its history.

A Theme of Distrust and a Call for Diplomacy

The theme of Western breach of trust was a consistent thread in President Pezeshkian’s diplomacy. In a separate meeting with European Council President António Costa, he placed responsibility for the current impasse squarely on the parties that withdrew from or failed to uphold the JCPOA.

Echoing this sentiment to Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, Pezeshkian stated, “Iran lost its trust in the West after the United States and European countries failed to live up to their obligations.” He cited not only the collapse of the nuclear deal but also a military attack on the country during negotiations with the U.S.

However, the Iranian leader consistently paired his criticisms with an offer for engagement. “We believe that diplomacy is the only way to overcome this distrust,” he told President Stubb. He called for strengthened multilateralism through international bodies like the UN, which he said must act more responsibly to “stop the crimes of the Zionist regime.”

European leaders, including Switzerland’s Keller-Sutter and Finland’s Stubb, uniformly expressed their belief that diplomatic dialogue remains the only viable path to resolving the nuclear issue and other international problems.

President Pezeshkian’s statements at the UNGA set a clear, hardline precondition for any future negotiations, signaling that while Iran’s door to diplomacy remains open, it will not talk under the threat of renewed sanctions.

Source: Agencies (edited and translated by Al-Manar English Website)