Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut vehemently condemned the decisions of France, Germany and the UK on Thursday to spark a “snapback” mechanism by the UN Security Council, which aims to reimpose Tehran’s sanctions over the nuclear programme.
According to a telephone report, Araguchi called the move “unjust, illegal and lacking legal basis,” emphasizing Iran’s appropriate response to protect the country’s rights and interests.
The snapback process, a denial measure embedded in the 2015 nuclear deal, was launched despite Tehran’s continued commitment to diplomacy and transparency, Araguchi said.
“Iran acted responsibly and in good faith in sticking to diplomacy to resolve nuclear-related issues,” Araguc said, emphasizing that Iran’s stance remains strong in defending its legal rights under international law and the NPT.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately to this illegal and unfair action by three European countries and protect the rights and interests of the state,” Aragut said.
In collaboration with the EU’s foreign policy director, three European forces formally notified Iran by phone Thursday of their intention to notify the UN Security Council to begin a “dispute resolution” process under the JCPOA framework.
The move sets a 30-day countdown aimed at the possibility of reimposed UN sanctions on Tehran, which have been suspended since the 2015 agreement.
Araguchi expressed his hope that European countries would reconsider their decisions and reverse them.
“We hope that three European countries will properly correct the wrong moves in the coming days by adopting a responsible approach and understanding existing reality.”
The “snapback” mechanism designed during the negotiations of the JCPOA allows participants to declare a violation by Iran and automatically recover UN sanctions without the possibility of a Security Council rejection.
Re-enforcement of sanctions includes freezing Iranian assets overseas, banning the sale of weapons and targeting Iran’s ballistic missile programmes.
Iran has consistently rejected new sanctions, claiming that its nuclear programme is in compliance with peaceful and international obligations.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Galibabadi warned that Iran and the IAEA will end if the snapback progresses.
“If they choose to snap back, it doesn’t make sense for Iran to continue working with them,” he said.
MNA