Aug 29, 2025, 11:42 AM

Iran slams E3 for bowing to US over snapback mechanism

Iran slams E3 for bowing to US over snapback mechanism

TEHRAN, Aug. 29 (MNA) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei criticized Britain, France, and Germany for bowing to Washington by triggering the return of UN sanctions on Tehran, calling it political obedience rather than a legal move.

The E3 are demonstrating what passes for a “credible” negotiating partner in the so-called “rules-based international order,” where might makes right and where the “violator” dictates the rules of the game, Baghaei wrote on X on Friday.

"Their decision to trigger the re-imposition of terminated Security Council resolutions on #Iran is driven not by legal necessity or sound judgment, but as Marco Rubio admitted in his press statement of 28 August 2025, signifies their obedience to the NSPM-2 dated 2 February 2025 of the United States (a non-participant of the #JCPOA, the tremendous spoiler & violator of JCPOA that chose to unilaterally withdraw from JCPOA in 2018 that caused a chain of subsequent vicious events up to now)," he stressed.

On Thursday night, Iranian Foriegn Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President Kaja Kallas on Thursday night after the United Kingdom, France, and Germany formally notified the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that they will move to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran within 30 days if the Council fails to adopt a resolution to extend the suspension of sanctions on Tehran. The move by the three European states is called triggering the snapback mechanism by invoking Resolution 2231, which was approved by the UN Security Council in 2015 to endorse the nuclear deal knowon as the JCPOA.

The three European countries - collectively known as the E3 - made the move in a letter to the UN Security Council earlier on Thursday. 

In reaction, the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement that the E3 move was illegal and will negatively impact its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog known as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

In the phone call with Kallas, Araghchi said that "E3's Snapback move further increases doubts about the true intentions of these countries towards Iran."

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately to this unlawful and unwarranted measure by the three European countries to protect its national rights and interests,” the Iranian minister also stressed.

Also, in a letter to Kallas earlier tonight, Araghchi emphasized, "The three European countries have no legal right or authority to resort to the dispute resolution mechanism or activate the automatic return of sanctions."

MNA/

News ID 235861

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