Zarif urges Europe to treat Iran as an equal in talks

Former Iranian foreign minister and presidential adviser Mohammad Javad Zarif told the media in Tehran that Europe should step down from its "high horse" when dealing with Iran, just days ahead of a scheduled meeting with European countries.

"Dialogue can always be constructive, but the other side (the European Union) must abandon its superiority complex and its stance as the center of global norms," Zarif said.

"They must step down from this so-called 'high horse' they are riding and engage with the world as equals, recognizing that if anyone needs to be held accountable, it is them,” he added.

Islamic Republic diplomats are set to meet with their counterparts from France, Garmany, the United Kingdom and the European Union on Friday to discuss controversial issues including Iran’s nuclear program and the crisis in the Middle East.

The meeting takes place after the UN nuclear watchdog issued a censure resolution condemning its lack of transparency and violation of obligations under a 2015 nuclear deal.

Zarif was the main Iranian negotiator from 2013-2015 when the JCPOA nuclear agreement was being hammered out with the three European powers, the United States, Russia and China.

The Trump administration withdrew from the agreement in 2018, imposing sanctions, which led Iran to break the deal’s restrictions on uranium enrichment. Subsequent talks during the Biden administration failed to resurrect the accord, which many regard as dead and beyond repair.

Nevertheless, Zarif turned the blame to the US. "Iran has not withdrawn from the JCPOA; it has consistently declared its readiness to adhere to the agreement and has acted within its framework. However, the United States withdrew from the JCPOA and violated its commitments," he said, meaning re-imposing economic sanctions.

He added, "The foundation of any new agreement will undoubtedly be the JCPOA, an agreement that took months and perhaps tens of thousands of man-hours in Iran, the US, Europe, Russia, and China to negotiate. As the Europeans put it, it is one of the most significant diplomatic achievements in the world."

It has been clear for several years that the JCPOA cannot be revived without addressing Iran’s breaches of the original agreement. Iran has continued to improve and expand its uranium enrichment by deploying more advanced centrifuges. As far back as 2020, Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), declared that a new agreement is needed.

In December 2020, Grossi, speaking at the IAEA headquarters, said, "I cannot imagine that they are going simply to say, 'We are back to square one' because square one is no longer there.”

Zarif’s remarks, published only by more reformist websites, come amid a concerted effort by conservatives in parliament to pressure President Masoud Pezeshkian into removing him from the government.

They cite a 2022 law barring dual nationals or individuals with spouses or children holding dual nationality from serving in "sensitive positions" such as advisory roles to the president. Hardliners argue that this restriction applies to Zarif, alleging that his son holds US citizenship.