(MENAFN) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Saturday that the United States stands as the primary barrier to restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement, just as U.N. sanctions lifted under the deal were poised to be reinstated later in the day.

Addressing the media at Tehran airport following his return from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Pezeshkian emphasized that France, Britain, and Germany—the nations that triggered the “snapback” sanctions mechanism—were informed of Iran’s willingness to collaborate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during his visit.

"The United States always attempts to prevent the achievement of an agreement by raising fresh pretexts," he stated. "The reality is that the United States cannot tolerate a strong Iran and wants to weaken our country."

Last month, the trio of European powers activated the snapback clause of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reimposing UN sanctions that had been lifted in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear program.

In response, Iran withdrew its ambassadors from the three European capitals. On Saturday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the snapback move as "illegal, void, and has no standing," attributing the diplomatic crisis to what he called "U.S. betrayal and Europe's inaction."

"The U.S. betrayed diplomacy. The Europeans buried it," Araghchi declared.

The JCPOA, inked in 2015 between Iran and six major powers, has faced significant challenges since the U.S. exit in 2018, after which Tehran progressively reduced its commitments under the deal.

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