Iran expressed resentment over a joint statement by France, Germany and Britain on Saturday night criticizing Iran's conduct within the framework of the ongoing nuclear negotiations. Iranian officials were outraged by the wording of the statement, which said that "unfortunately, Iran has chosen not to take advantage of this critical diplomatic opportunity, and instead, it continues to escalate its nuclear program far beyond any justification."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said that the statement was "not constructive," and called on the three signator countries "to be more active in finding solutions to the few differences of opinion that remain."
Kanani expressed regret that the European powers "are taking a step in the direction of Israel, which wants the nuclear talks to fail. Their joint statement was made in an ill-considered manner, and the responsibility for the consequences, if any, rests with them."
Russia's response to the joint statement
Dimitri Ulyanov, Russia's representative for the Iran nuclear negotiations, also criticized the wording of the joint statement, claiming that it was "very hasty." He added that "the current barrier in the talks does not constitute a serious obstacle in the negotiations."
"If we reach the agreement, it will only be to advance our national security."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken
On the American side, they reacted with restraint following the recent developments, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that even though several gaps between the parties have been closed in recent weeks, Iran's conduct constitutes a setback in the negotiations "when it continues to make demands outside the agreement." Despite this, he added that "if we reach the agreement, it will only be to advance our national security."
In the meantime, the US Treasury announced the imposition of new sanctions against Tehran, including various sanctions against the Iranian intelligence ministry—a move that also drew condemnation from Iranians.