Moscow has accused the European powers of abusing the UN snapback mechanism against Tehran
Russia has condemned the decision by the UK, France, and Germany to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran, calling the move a manipulation of international law. The three European countries accused Tehran of failing to meet its nuclear commitments and argued this justifies restoring the sanctions.
The accusations were made in a letter sent on Thursday by London, Paris, and Berlin to the UN that argues that Iran has not fulfilled its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. The agreement eased UN sanctions in exchange for limits on Tehran’s nuclear program. The US exited the accord in 2018, effectively killing the deal, before re-imposing its own sanctions. The European trio argued that their letter is enough to trigger the snapback mechanism of the agreement.
However, in a statement on Friday, Moscow said the letter had been falsely presented as a step that automatically restarts sanctions and insisted it carries no legal weight. The Foreign Ministry described the move as an arbitrary attempt to bend UN rules for political purposes and warned that it undermines international efforts to find negotiated solutions. The Russian statement said such actions could lead to “irreparable consequences and a new tragedy” if not reversed.
Iran has also condemned the move as “illegal, null and void,” claiming that London, Paris and Berlin have no legal or moral authority to invoke the snapback clause after failing to honor their own commitments. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi threatened to take the “necessary counter-measures” and warned that Tehran could terminate cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency if sanctions are re-imposed.
China also rejected the initiative and presented detailed arguments dismissing the snapback attempt. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said restoring sanctions on Iran “is not a constructive move” and warned it would disrupt efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.
The US, meanwhile, welcomed the Western European step. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remains open to talks with Tehran but stressed that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. His remarks came two months after the US, together with Israel, carried out a series of strikes on Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities.
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