Iran warns key European players against triggering JCPOA snapback mechanism

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson has warned UK, France, and Germany against initiating the so-called snapback provisions of the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). 

Speaking at a press conference on July 14, Esmaeil Baqaei said the snapback mechanism “has no legal or political basis,” Caliber.Az reports, citing Tasnim.

Baqaei accused the three European countries of using the snapback provision as an instrument, asserting that “their resorting to such a mechanism would lack any legal or moral basis considering the recent developments.”

He further explained that Iran still considers itself a party to the JCPOA but has reduced its commitments in response to what it describes as “the brazen violation of the agreement by the US and the European troika.”

The spokesman argued that the European governments are not in a position to trigger the snapback because “they themselves have clearly breached the JCPOA and failed to honor their commitments.” He described any move to activate the mechanism as “basically unjustifiable” given that Iran “has been attacked by the Israeli regime and the US.”

Denouncing the threat to use the snapback as “a merely political measure with the purpose of countering Iran,” Baqaei warned that “such move will meet with an appropriate response from Iran.”

In related comments on July 12, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi cautioned that triggering the snapback mechanism “will complicate matters further, end the EU3’s role in the talks on Iran’s nuclear program, and do irreparable damages to diplomatic relations.”

By Sabina Mammadli