Iran, China, Russia reject European move to trigger ‘snapback’ sanctions on Tehran

ISTANBUL

Iran, China and Russia have jointly dismissed European efforts to reinstate UN sanctions on Tehran, calling the move legally baseless and politically destructive.

In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the president of the Security Council, the three foreign ministers said the attempt by France, Germany and the UK to invoke the “snapback” mechanism under Resolution 2231 was invalid.

They argued that the US first violated the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), when it withdrew in 2018, and that European states later compounded the breach by aligning with US sanctions instead of upholding their own commitments.

“The communication by the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom cannot be considered as a notification submitted by a JCPOA Participant State under paragraph 11 of UNSCR 2231,” the letter said, insisting the step was “null and void.”

The ministers stressed that the credibility of multilateral diplomacy depends on parties honoring their obligations.

“A party which disowns or does not fulfil its own obligations cannot be recognized as retaining the rights which it claims to derive from the relationship,” they noted, citing a principle affirmed by the International Court of Justice.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reinforced the message in a post on US social media company X on Monday, saying the joint letter reflected a firm position.

“By declaring the E3’s move null and void, we have placed on record that no party can erase the sequence of events: it was the United States that first violated the JCPOA and Resolution 2231, and it was Europe that subsequently chose to align with unlawful sanctions instead of honoring its own commitments,” he wrote.

Araghchi warned that selective compliance and procedural abuse would fatally undermine the credibility of international agreements.

“What is at stake is not only Iran’s rights but the integrity of international agreements themselves,” he said, adding that the Security Council must serve as a guardian of stability rather than “an instrument of coercion.”

The letter urged Security Council members to reject the E3’s claim and reaffirm their commitment to international law and multilateral diplomacy. It also called on France, Germany and the UK to reverse course and engage in political dialogue, while urging all states to contribute to creating conditions conducive to diplomacy.

On Thursday, France, Germany and the UK formally notified the UN Security Council that they were invoking the “snapback” mechanism under Resolution 2231, accusing Iran of “significant non-performance” of its nuclear obligations.

The move triggered a 30-day period during which previously lifted UN sanctions could be reimposed on Tehran unless the council decides otherwise.

The European trio, known as the E3, said they had exhausted diplomatic channels and urged Iran to return to negotiations and allow full inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The US unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, a step that Tehran says prompted its own reduction of commitments under the deal.