Iran’s Foreign Minister warns Britain, France, and Germany that using the UN snapback sanctions mechanism could lead to “irreversible” tensions and end Europe’s role in the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a stark warning to European powers on Monday, cautioning that any move to trigger UN sanctions on Tehran could lead to a serious and potentially irreversible escalation in tensions, Reuters reported.
Under the terms of a UN Security Council resolution that ratified the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, Britain, France, and Germany—the so-called E3—retain the ability to reinstate international sanctions through the “snapback mechanism” should Iran be found in serious breach of the pact. That window remains open until October 18.
Britain, France, and Germany recently informed the UN Security Council that they stand ready to trigger the “snapback” mechanism.
“Iran has made its position clear. We have officially warned all JCPOA (nuclear pact) signatories that abuse of the snapback mechanism will lead to consequences—not only the end of Europe’s role in the agreement, but also an escalation of tensions that could become irreversible,” Araghchi wrote in an op-ed for the French magazine Le Point.
The warning comes as diplomatic maneuvering around Iran’s nuclear program intensifies. US President Donald Trump, who withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 during his first term in office, has held four rounds of indirect talks with Iran.
The E3 nations have remained outside the current negotiations but have reportedly been coordinating with Washington over the possibility of initiating the snapback process as pressure on Tehran mounts.
A meeting between Iran’s deputy foreign minister and E3 counterparts took place after an earlier round of scheduled talks in Rome was postponed. Araghchi described the meeting as a “promising, but fragile start.”
Diplomatic sources and documents reviewed by Reuters indicate that the E3 may proceed with the snapback mechanism by August if no breakthrough is achieved, with the mechanism expiring by mid-October.
France’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the developments. The British and German Foreign Ministries did not respond to requests for comment.
