BERLIN: Germany on Thursday urged Iran to keep working with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, labelling a vote by Iranian lawmakers to halt cooperation with the IAEA “a totally wrong signal”.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told journalists that Germany “urges the Iranian government not to go down this path”.
Wadephul’s comments came a day after the vote in Iran’s parliament, and following a 12-day war that saw Israeli and US strikes on nuclear facilities.
According to Iranian state TV, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the International Atomic Energy Agency “refused to even marginally condemn the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities” and had “put its international credibility up for auction”.
The decision of the Iranian parliament still requires the approval of Iran’s Guardian Council, a body empowered to vet legislation.
Wadephul also said there were “hopeful signs” of US-Iran talks after President Donald Trump said they would take place next week.
“We are directing all our diplomatic efforts towards finding a binding agreement as soon as possible,“ Wadephul said, during a joint news conference with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand.
He added that the so-called E3 grouping of Britain, France and Germany would “play a central role” in any talks and that “Iran expressly wants a European component”.
