TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Britain, France and Germany are jeopardizing their credibility and international standing by aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy of maximum pressure on Tehran, urging the three to reconsider their approach before diplomacy is lost altogether.

In an article published Sunday in The Guardian, Araghchi said Europe is “wrong to follow Donald Trump’s strategy,” emphasizing that Iran remains ready for diplomacy and even a new deal over its nuclear program, but only if sanctions are lifted.

Araghchi defended Iran’s record under the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and placed full responsibility for the crisis on Washington’s withdrawal from the accord in 2018. 

Despite these grievances, the foreign minister stressed that Iran remains open to diplomacy and even to negotiating a new arrangement — but only under the clear condition that all sanctions are terminated. “We are ready to forge a realistic and lasting bargain,” Araghchi wrote, one that would involve “ironclad oversight and curbs on enrichment in exchange for the termination of sanctions.”

Araghchi traced Europe’s role in the nuclear dispute back more than two decades, describing it as reflective of the balance of international power. In the early 2000s, he noted, Europe often acted as a moderating influence, attempting to temper American belligerence in the region. But today, he argued, Europe is enabling Washington’s “excesses” and undermining its own interests.

Last week, Britain, France and Germany announced they had triggered the so-called “snapback” process to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran, claiming Tehran had failed to comply with its obligations. Araghchi dismissed the move as legally groundless and politically dangerous. He said the E3’s step ignored the sequence of events: it was the United States that unilaterally abandoned the deal in 2018, reimposed sanctions, and set off a chain reaction. Iran’s subsequent remedial measures, he insisted, were entirely lawful under the JCPOA framework.

“The three countries want the world to forget that it was the US, and not Iran, that unilaterally ended participation in the JCPOA,” Araghchi said. “They are omitting how they failed to uphold their part of the bargain, not to mention their outrageous welcoming of the bombing of Iran in June.”

The foreign minister argued that Europe’s current course is based on a miscalculated desire to secure a place at the table in wider international issues. In reality, he said, Trump has repeatedly treated the E3 as minor players, sidelining them from discussions on matters critical to Europe’s own future, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“The message from Washington is loud and clear,” Araghchi wrote. “To gain relevance, the E3 must exhibit undying fealty.” He added that the images of European leaders seated deferentially in the Oval Office before President Trump “vividly underscore this dynamic.”

Araghchi contrasted this subservience with Europe’s earlier role. In 2003, when the E3 first came together in the wake of U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, Iran welcomed their engagement as a possible counterbalance to American unilateralism. But the effort faltered because the Europeans could offer nothing substantial without U.S. backing. American maximalism dominated even then, leaving Europe unable to stand independently.

The foreign minister detailed the trajectory of Iran’s nuclear program and negotiations. Between 2005 and 2013, what he called a race of “sanctions versus centrifuges” saw Iran expand its capabilities dramatically, growing its centrifuge count from just 200 to around 20,000.

Two key shifts then made serious dialogue possible: first, U.S. and European acknowledgment of Iran’s right to uranium enrichment; second, Tehran’s acceptance of Washington as a direct negotiating partner. These factors led to the breakthrough JCPOA deal in 2015.

“The bargain was straightforward,” Araghchi explained. “Unprecedented oversight and curbs on Iranian enrichment in exchange for the termination of sanctions. The formula worked.”

However, in 2018 President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sanctions, unraveling years of diplomacy. Europe, initially outraged, pledged to defend the deal. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire declared that Europe was not a “vassal,” and European leaders spoke of “strategic autonomy.” They promised that oil sales, banking channels, and trade benefits for Iran would continue despite Washington’s withdrawal. But none of those promises materialized.

“None of it materialized,” Araghchi wrote bluntly, accusing the E3 of abandoning their commitments while still demanding Iranian compliance.

Araghchi condemned Europe’s double standards, particularly its silence over U.S. military strikes on Iranian territory in June, carried out on the eve of diplomatic talks. He noted that while the E3 refused to condemn the attack, they now demand that Iran face UN sanctions for supposedly rejecting dialogue.

He also pointed to comments from Germany’s chancellor, who openly supported strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. These facilities, Araghchi stressed, are safeguarded by international law. Supporting such attacks, he argued, exposes Europe’s role not as a participant in diplomacy but as a cheerleader for illegality.

“As I have cautioned my E3 counterparts, their gambit will not achieve the result they seek,” Araghchi warned. “On the contrary, it will only further sideline them by eliminating them from future diplomacy, with broad negative consequences for all of Europe in terms of its global credibility and standing.”

Despite his criticisms, Araghchi emphasized that Tehran is not closing the door to negotiations. Iran, he said, is prepared to engage in a “realistic and lasting bargain” that involves strict oversight and meaningful limits on enrichment, but only if sanctions are lifted in return.

He cautioned that failure to seize this “fleeting window of opportunity” could bring destructive consequences “on a whole new level” for the region and beyond.

Turning to Israel, Araghchi accused Tel Aviv of trying to drag Western powers into conflict on its behalf. He asserted that the June clashes demonstrated Iran’s military strength, forcing Israel to seek American assistance. He claimed the failed Israeli operation cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars, depleted vital military stockpiles, and painted Washington as a reckless actor drawn into “a rogue regime’s wars of choice.”

Araghchi concluded with a stark warning: Europe and the United States must reassess their approach and give diplomacy the time and space it requires. Otherwise, they will face the consequences of deepening confrontation.

“If Europe truly wants a diplomatic solution, and if President Trump wants the bandwidth to focus on real issues that are not manufactured in Tel Aviv, they need to give diplomacy the time and space that it needs to succeed,” he wrote. “The alternative is not likely to be pretty.”