Russian envoy says E3 paved way for US-Israeli aggression against Iran

Russian envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mikhail Ulyanov has said that the three European countries party to the 2015 nuclear deal have consistently escalated tensions at the IAEA Board of Governors, a course he described as setting the stage for US and Israeli aggression against Iran.

In a post on his X account, Ulyanov wrote that official representatives of Tehran are "very gentle and polite" and turn a blind eye to the fact that since March 2022 the E3 — France, Germany and the UK — have always tried to escalate matters in the IAEA Board of Governors. He said their actions in effect set the stage for US and Israeli aggression against Iran. The Russian diplomat's remarks confirmed criticism made by Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, and he identified the actions of the three European countries as a cause of escalating tensions and a factor that paves the way for attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Ulyanov repeated the point in a second formulation, saying Tehran's officials are "very mild-mannered and polite" and overlook the fact that since March 2022 the three European signatories to the JCPOA have consistently sought to escalate tensions within the IAEA Board of Governors, effectively paving the way for aggression against Iran by the United States and Israel.

The comments follow a post by Baghaei on Saturday in which the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman responded to concerns expressed by Germany and several other European countries regarding the escalation of tensions in the West Asia region. Recalling a statement made by the German Chancellor in June 2025, in which he endorsed Israel's crimes against Iran, Baghaei wrote that Friedrich Merz had remarked on Israel's military aggression against Iran, saying, "This is the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us." Baghaei added that now, in October 2026, the German Foreign Minister, along with counterparts from several other European nations, is issuing warnings regarding a renewed attack on Iran and emphasizing the need to contain the tensions.

The exchange highlights continuing friction between Iran and the E3 over the IAEA's proceedings and over European positions on Israeli military action against Iran. Ulyanov's remarks, as reported by Mehr News, frame the European diplomatic pressure at the IAEA as linked to the broader confrontation involving the United States and Israel.