Shafaq News – Tehran (Updated 2025-9-1 23:25)
Iran, Russia and China rejected European efforts to reimpose sanctions under the Snapback clause, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday.
The mechanism, part of the 2015 nuclear deal, allows parties to refer Iran to the UN Security Council over alleged violations, potentially restoring pre-2015 sanctions.
In a post on X, Araghchi revealed the three countries had sent a letter to the United Nations describing the European move as lacking legal foundation and undermining the credibility of international agreements.
He pointed to the United States as the first violator of the accord, while European governments deepened the breach by imposing sanctions instead of meeting their commitments. “If selective compliance and procedural abuse are tolerated, the foundation of collective security will be fatally weakened."
Our joint letter with my colleagues, the Foreign Ministers of China and Russia, signed in Tianjin reflects the firm position that the European attempt to invoke “snapback” is legally baseless and politically destructive. By declaring the E3’s move null and void, we have placed on… pic.twitter.com/YC4LKNkxMX
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) September 1, 2025
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the European step, calling it a move toward reinstating suspended penalties.