China, Russia stand with Iran to block European push for UN sanctions snapback
China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, have joined Iran in rejecting a European effort to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran. The sanctions were originally eased a decade ago as part of a nuclear agreement.
A letter signed by the foreign ministers of China, Russia, and Iran stated that the attempt by Britain, France, and Germany to automatically restore the sanctions through a “snapback mechanism” was “legally and procedurally flawed.”
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China and Russia were also signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, along with the three European nations (known as the E3). The U.S. withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under President Donald Trump.
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Last week, the European nations triggered the “snapback mechanism,” accusing Iran of violating the nuclear deal. The agreement had provided Iran with relief from international financial sanctions in exchange for limitations on its nuclear program.
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In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi shared the letter, which said the action taken by Britain, France, and Germany “abuses the authority and functions of the UN Security Council.”
Iran has long exceeded the uranium production limits set by the 2015 deal, arguing its actions are justified since the U.S. pulled out of the agreement. The deal is set to expire in October of this year, and the snapback mechanism would allow the previously lifted sanctions to be restored.
Iran and the E3 had held talks aimed at a new nuclear agreement following the U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iran’s nuclear installations in mid-June. However, the E3 concluded that talks in Geneva last week did not show enough willingness from Iran to reach a new deal.
“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,” Iran’s foreign minister wrote in his post.
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