Tehran – Iran strongly rejects attempts by the UK, France and Germany to activate the snapback mechanism based on the 2015 nuclear deal, claiming that the three European countries do not have the legal or moral status to do so after failing to maintain their commitments.
In a speech to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Governor’s Committee on Wednesday, Mohsen Naziri et Azlu, Iran’s representative for Vienna’s international organization, noted that the European troika had violated UN Security Council resolution 2231 and the JCPOA and was based on the snapback claims.
He reiterated that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons and is committed to its non-proliferation obligation. However, despite years of patience and restraint, Iran saw no concrete results from compliance with the JCPOA.
Tehran emphasized that he has emphasized, but is willing to fully recover its commitment only if the US and Europe lift sanctions in a verifiable way.
Snapback claims are “illegal and delusional”: Russia
Russia has also dismissed the European Troika claims and, together with IAEA’s Russian ambassador, Mikhail Ulyanov, has denounced the move as illegal.
Speaking at IAEA Committee meeting on Tuesday, he urged three European countries to abandon their “illusion” about reviving sanctions and instead focus on diplomatic solutions.
Ulyanov emphasized that the JCPOA is a sensitive diplomatic compromise that requires all parties to respect their obligations. He noted that in 2018 the US violated resolution 2231, withdrew from the transaction, imposed sanctions and launched a “maximum pressure” policy on Iran.
The UK, Germany and France initially failed to counter US sanctions, and later coincided with Washington by illegally restoring expiration restrictions from Resolution 2231 (which ended in October 2023) to the state’s laws.
According to Urinov, Iran exercised “maximum patience” over a year, despite Washington’s violations, by absenting the JCPOA’s commitment, additional protocols and amendment code 3.1. Only after repeated diplomatic efforts failed could Tehran begin rolling back its commitments in 2021. Russian diplomats argued that uranium enrichment in Iran to 60% was not a positive move, but a direct response to Western violations. He then raised a rhetorical question: “In such circumstances, does Iran have the right to activate the protective mechanisms of the JCPOA?” His answer was clear: “Absolutely, yes.”
Ulyanov, referring to the latest IAEA Director’s report, noted that most allegations against Iran arise from the legal right to coordinate nuclear activities under resolution 2231. He emphasized that Iran is the subject of the broadest IAEA surveillance among member states, with monitoring costs exceeding 10 million euros per year. He also denounced the West for a deliberately weakened agreement that reached between the IAEA and Tehran in November.
Dismissing the European threat to invoke snapback sanctions, Urinov called such rhetoric irresponsible and illegal. He argued that countries violating Resolution 2231 lose the right to invoke mechanisms that include snapback clauses. This stance he highlighted was supported by the 1971 International Court of Justice ruling, reaffirmed by the 2020 UN Security Council ruling, and rejected similar attempts by the Trump administration. He urged European leaders to abandon forced tactics and focus on diplomacy.
With only six months left until October 18, 2025 (JCPOA implementation day), Russia is seeking new diplomatic involvement. Ulyanov emphasized that a constructive approach between Iran and the rest of the JCPOA political parties is essential and that the IAEA director can play an important role in fostering consultations. However, he warned that further western escalations could eliminate the possibility of a diplomatic solution.
Ulyanov warned that ongoing accusations and military threats against Iran were unacceptable and could lead to a serious military and political crisis. He argued that the historic precedent demonstrates that successful arms management contracts can be achieved through diplomacy rather than pressure campaigns.
Since the JCPOA was signed, Iran has fully adhered to its commitments, but the US unilaterally withdrew in 2018, and European countries have failed to support its obligations. In response, Iran legally reduced its commitment under the contract. The revival talk of the JCPOA has been stagnant due to Western hesitation and excessive demand. Despite these challenges, Iran has shown an willingness to continue its diplomatic involvement with the IAEA and restore the JCPOA. Recent negotiations in Geneva with the European Troika highlight Tehran’s continued preference for diplomacy.
The issue of the snapback mechanism has been controversial for years. During his previous administration, Donald Trump put pressure on Europe to activate snapback sanctions before Iran enriched uranium to 60%. This mechanism could restore pre-JCPOA sanctions and force Iran to halt all uranium enrichment, reprocessing and heavy water projects. Meanwhile, the latest European resolution at the IAEA Board has further raised tensions by calling for a comprehensive report on Iran’s nuclear activity by spring 2025. Tehran calls the move a sign of European hostility.
In response to these latest threats, Iran has warned that if the snapback mechanism is fully revived, it could withdraw from the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT). The warning was conveyed by Iranian diplomat Majid Takto Ravanci following a conversation in Geneva with representatives from the UK, France and Germany in December 2024.