Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a joint telephone conversation with the foreign ministers of UK, France and Germany and also EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kalas on Friday.

During the phone call, Iran’s top diplomat expounded on the principled status of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the so-called snapback mechanism and the responsibility of the three European countries and the European Union.

The top Iranian diplomat once again emphasized that the European countries lack the legal and moral right to resort to the mechanism, warning that triggering snapback would come with consequences.

In response to Europe’s repeated suggestions of extending UN Security Council Resolution 2231 to allow more time for negotiations, Araghchi said the UN Security Council must decide on that rather than them. 

He noted that Iran has its principled stance on the issue but will not be involved in the process.

The Islamic Republic, however, will consult and exchange views with its friends in the Security Council regarding the consequences of such an action, the Iranian foreign minister emphasized.

The foreign ministers of the European troika, along with the EU’s foreign policy chief, voiced their readiness to pursue a diplomatic solution to address what they called concerns over Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.

It was decided at the end of the phone call that Iran's talks with the three European countries and the EU would advance at the level of deputy foreign ministers on Tuesday.

The Iranian foreign minister had already reiterated Iran's warning on Wednesday in an interview with IRNA that the European troika that invoking the so-called snapback mechanism would be illegal, but that Tehran has prepared a response to potential attempts to restore the UN sanctions against the country.