Iran moves to counter European efforts to invoke UN snapback mechanism

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a comprehensive diplomatic strategy aimed at preventing European nations from misusing the United Nations Security Council’s snapback mechanism — a tool designed to automatically reimpose international sanctions in the event of noncompliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.

Speaking at a press briefing, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei reaffirmed that while Iran fully understands the potential implications of the snapback clause, it rejects any attempts by European parties to invoke it, citing both legal and ethical grounds, Caliber.Az reports per Iranian media.

“The European parties lack the legal and moral legitimacy to activate this mechanism,” the spokesperson said. “Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran neither recognizes its validity in this context nor ignores its possible consequences.”

He further stressed that Tehran views recent European rhetoric surrounding the mechanism as a form of psychological pressure rather than a legitimate diplomatic course of action.

To counter this, Iran has adopted what it describes as a “clear and proactive strategy,” engaging in ongoing diplomatic talks and high-level consultations with key international partners, including Russia and China. The spokesperson pointed to the Iranian Foreign Minister’s regular communications with European counterparts and ongoing negotiations in Geneva as part of a broader diplomatic campaign to prevent any unilateral or politically motivated activation of the snapback clause.

“These initiatives have been underway for some time,” he noted, “and Iran hopes that positive results will soon become evident.”

By Vafa Guliyeva