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Iran on Sunday strongly rejected efforts by the United Kingdom, Germany and France to reimpose sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, saying the three countries have no legal, political or moral right to do so.
In a post on X, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “It is not just that the E3 has no legal, political, or moral entitlement to invoke ‘snapback,’ and that even if they did, ‘use or lose it’ doesn't work. It's that the correct expression for the E3's dilemma is ‘use it and lose it.’ Or better yet, ‘use it and lose it all.’”
The three European countries announced last month that they had triggered the “snapback” mechanism under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, which would restore sanctions in 30 days if Iran does not meet its obligations.
The 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
The United States withdrew from the agreement under former President Donald Trump, reimposing sanctions.
Iran suspended cooperation with the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following U.S. and Israeli attacks in June, accusing the nuclear watchdog of bias.
The escalation began on June 13, when Israel launched strikes on military, nuclear, and civilian sites in Tehran, killing senior commanders and nuclear scientists.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks, while the U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities. The 12-day conflict ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on June 24.
The U.S. and its European allies are urging Iran to return to negotiations on the future of its nuclear program and to restore access for international inspectors to its facilities.
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