Tehran has said that the ‘snapback’ has no legal grounds, adding that no state is obliged to roll out the restrictions
France, Germany, and the UK have reactivated UN sanctions against Iran, claiming that Tehran has breached its commitments to restrict its nuclear program. Iran has called the move illegal, stressing that no state is obligated to adhere to the sanctions.
In a joint statement on Sunday, the three European governments said they triggered the snapback after a 30-day window for de-escalation expired, citing the denial of IAEA access and claims that highly enriched uranium hadn’t been accounted for.
“Regrettably, Iran did not take the necessary actions to address our concerns,” the E3 said, urging all UN members to implement the sanctions and stressing that the step “is not the end of diplomacy.”
“We urge Iran to refrain from any escalatory action and to return to compliance with its legally binding safeguards obligations,” the statement read.
The restored measures revive a conventional arms embargo, restrictions tied to ballistic missiles, and travel bans and asset freezes on designated figures, alongside curbs on sensitive nuclear-related trade – penalties first lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal.
China and Russia could not block the move because the mechanism is designed to be veto-proof. The two countries, however, attempted earlier this month to pass a UN resolution on a six-month extension of sanctions relief for Iran, but failed to secure the required number of votes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back, saying that the move was “entirely unfounded, unlawful, and invalid.” He added that neither Iran nor other states are legally obliged to comply.
Moscow called the snapback destabilizing, accusing the European powers of intentionally skipping the dispute-resolution mechanism. “From the standpoint of international law, this looks like sleight of hand,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. “The West failed to fulfil its part in the nuclear deal for years… and is now trying to use crude legal maneuvers to punish Iran.”
Tehran began expanding its uranium enrichment beyond the agreed limits after Washington withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018, and later restricted inspections of its nuclear program following Israeli and US attacks on its nuclear facilities in June. Iran maintains it has never sought to acquire nuclear weapons.
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