Beirut: Saeed Khatibzadeh, an aide to the Iranian foreign minister, has accused the three European countries of Britain, France, and Germany-collectively known as the E3-of seeking excuses to escalate tensions. He made these remarks in an interview with Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen news network.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Khatibzadeh’s comments followed the UN Security Council’s decision to vote against a draft resolution that would have permanently lifted sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program. These sanctions had initially been lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear deal but were reinstated under the ‘snapback’ mechanism, which the E3 activated in early August. The three European states, who are all parties to the nuclear agreement, officially notified the Security Council of their decision to invoke the mechanism on August 9, leading to a vote by the Council on Friday.

The Iranian diplomat warned that the troika is looking for an excuse to escalate tensions, and advised the three countries to exercise caution. Despite the rising tensions, Khatibzadeh emphasized that diplomacy remains an option and is preferable to escalating tensions.