Russia says E3 cannot legally ‘snap back’ sanctions on Iran
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson tells IRNA that U.S. violations have introduced a “fundamental change” to the equation, affecting how the “snapback” mechanism would be used.
IRNA – Russia says that Britain, France, and Germany, known informally as the E3, do not have the right to “snap back” sanctions on Iran, as they have not implemented the requirements of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, which enshrines the now-stalled nuclear deal with Tehran.
“The mechanism for reinstating the lifted U.N. Security Council sanctions against Tehran, referred to in the West as ‘snapback,’ was designed to address situations where Iran would be the first country to violate the JCPOA,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told IRNA in Moscow on Tuesday.
However, It was the United States that unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and re-imposed tough economic sanctions against the country. The E3 has informed the U.N. Security Council that, if necessary, they are ready to reinstate international sanctions against Iran, which have been lifted under the nuclear accord of 2015, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). U.S. President Donald Trump has also restarted his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.
Zakharova told IRNA that U.S. violations have introduced a “fundamental change” to the equation, affecting how the “snapback” mechanism would be used. Triggering that mechanism without addressing Washington’s illegal actions is “unacceptable,” she added.
“The pattern of U.S. bad behavior has extended to the European countries participating in the JCPOA negotiations,” she said. “They have clearly taken steps to undermine U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 and, by claiming uncertainty about the proper implementation of the JCPOA by Iran, have refrained from fulfilling their obligations regarding the lifting of unilateral illegal sanctions against Iran.”
Resolution 2231 will expire in October 2025, meaning that the “snapback” mechanism, which allowed for the quick reinstatement of U.N. sanctions if Iran was deemed non-compliant, will also be terminated.
“Given the failure of European countries to implement the Security Council’s requirements, they, like the American side, do not have the right to raise the issue of revenge against Iran” by triggering the snapback, Zakharova said.
As part of their efforts to ramp up pressure on Iran, the E3 also pushed a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency in June, censuring Iran for what they called non-cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog while expanding its nuclear work.
