Russia, China slam European nations over Iran ‘snapback’ sanctions move

Russia and China have condemned Britain, Germany, and France’s decision to start a process that could impose UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

The three European nations, collectively known as the E3, on Thursday launched the so-called “snapback mechanism” in response to accusations that Iran had broken a 2015 agreement that demanded that it stop developing nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.

The decision creates a 30-day window in which to sign a new UN resolution to end sanctions before they are imposed.

In a statement blaming the United States and Europe for the fallout of the 2015 nuclear deal, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday, “We strongly condemn these actions by European countries and call on the international community to reject them.”

China criticized the actions taken by the European Union as “unintentional.”

“The Iranian nuclear problem is at a crucial turning point. According to Guo Jiakun, a regular media briefing on Friday, “leting the Security Council’s snapback mechanism of sanctions be used to undermine the political and diplomatic resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue.”

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier decried the action, calling him “unjustified” and “lacking any legal basis” in a call with his European counterparts.

He declared, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will appropriately respond to this unlawful and unjustified action.” The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that the European countries’ decision will “gravely undermine” their ongoing cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog agency.

Threat of NPT withdrawal

In response to the European decision, Iranian MP Hossein-Ali Haji-Deligani reported to the Tasnim news agency that the parliament is considering legislation to remove Iran from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT) list.

For decades, the treaty has served as the foundation of global nuclear weapons control.

The MP informed the organization that the draft law was on the agenda and that the legal review and approval process for the West might turn out to be a mistake in the wake of potential resumption of nuclear negotiations with the West.

He claimed that breaking all ties with the European trio would be the only course of action.

Iran claims nuclear energy is necessary for its power, but the West has long expressed concern that it is attempting to build an atomic bomb.

In his first term, US President Donald Trump uninvited the 2015 agreement because he felt it was insufficiently reducing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.