Iran Dismisses European Push for UN Sanctions as ‘Legally Baseless’ - Tasnim

 Iran has firmly rejected a move by Britain, France and Germany to trigger the snapback mechanism and reimpose UN sanctions, condemning the attempt as unlawful and politically motivated.

In a letter to the UN Security Council and Secretary-General António Guterres, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called on Council members to “reject the unjustified political manipulations and uphold the integrity of international law.”

The snapback provision under the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), allows participants to restore sanctions in cases of serious non-compliance. The three European states, known as the E3, informed the UN that they had activated the process to reinstate measures lifted under Resolution 2231.

Araqchi disputed the basis of their claim, stressing that Iran had formally activated the Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM) in May 2018, not in 2020 as alleged. He pointed to several Joint Commission meetings that followed, noting that the unresolved issues Iran raised at that time remain outstanding.

“The ministerial-level Joint Commission meeting of July 6, 2018 recognized issues referred by Iran as ‘unresolved,’” he wrote, adding that the E3’s reasoning “admits remedial measures cannot be invoked against prior remedial measures.”

The foreign minister rejected the notion that DRM activation required consensus, arguing this logic invalidated Europe’s own snapback attempt. He slammed the E3 for “bad-faith conduct” for failing to meet their obligations while portraying Iran’s lawful steps as non-performance.

Iran defended its decision to scale back JCPOA commitments after the US unilaterally quit the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. “These lawful measures were taken in full conformity with Iran’s rights under paragraphs 26 and 36 of the JCPOA,” Araqchi wrote. “They were intended to preserve the deal by compelling compliance, not to undermine it.”

Araqchi also addressed the question of the expiration of Resolution 2231, which endorses the JCPOA and is set to lapse in October 2025.

“The Resolution must end on Termination Day,” he said. “Any other attempt would contravene realities, disregard the resolution’s purpose, set a bad precedent and deepen divisions within the Security Council.”

Iran warned it would “decisively and proportionately react, considering its supreme national interests,” should the resolution’s provisions be extended.

The letter rejected the E3’s “offer” of a limited extension of the “relevant provisions of the UNSC 2231,” saying it “disregards realities” and “deepens divisions” within the Council.

Araqchi stressed that the snapback push by the E3 “lacks validity since it has not been explicitly recognized by other participants.”

He noted that Iran had formally communicated the activation and exhaustion of the dispute resolution mechanism, warning that any move to trigger snapback now “amounts to remedy against remedy which was neither recognized by all Participants nor fully exhausted.”

“Iran’s measures, taken in full conformity with its rights under paragraphs 26 and 36, were intended to preserve the deal by compelling compliance,” Araqchi said.

Despite the sharp criticism, Araqchi reaffirmed Iran’s openness to diplomacy.

“Iran remains committed to meaningful diplomatic engagement aimed at achieving a new agreement — one that respects Iran’s rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while addressing all mutual concerns, including the unjust sanctions that have targeted the well-being and prosperity of the Iranian people,” he said.

“The path forward lies in mutual respect, not coercion,” Araqchi added.

The letter concluded with a request for the correspondence to be circulated as a formal document of the General Assembly and the Security Council.