TEHRAN, Iran: Iran, China, and Russia have jointly dismissed a European move to reinstate UN sanctions on Tehran through the “snapback” mechanism, condemning it as “legally baseless and politically destructive”.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of the Security Council, the foreign ministers of Iran, China, and Russia foreign ministers rejected the attempt by France, Germany, and the UK to invoke the mechanism under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, declaring it invalid.
They argued that the United States first breached the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by withdrawing in 2018, and that the European countries further undermined the deal by aligning with US sanctions instead of fulfilling their own obligations under the agreement.
“The communication by the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom cannot be considered a valid notification by a JCPOA Participant State under paragraph 11 of UNSCR 2231,” the letter stated, calling the move “null and void.”
The three ministers emphasised that the credibility of multilateral diplomacy hinges on all parties honoring their commitments.
China and Russia were signatories to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, along with the three European countries, known as the E3. U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement in his first term in 2018.
The Europeans launched the “snapback mechanism” last week, accusing Iran of violating the deal, which had provided relief from international financial sanctions in return for curbs to Iran’s nuclear programme.
The letter published by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in a post on X on Monday said that the course taken by Britain, France, and Germany “abuses the authority and functions of the UN Security Council”.
Our joint letter with my colleagues, the Foreign Ministers of China and Russia, signed in Tianjin reflects the firm position that the European attempt to invoke “snapback” is legally baseless and politically destructive. By declaring the E3’s move null and void, we have placed on… pic.twitter.com/YC4LKNkxMX
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) September 1, 2025
“Our joint letter with my colleagues, the Foreign Ministers of China and Russia, signed in Tianjin, reflects the firm position that the European attempt to invoke “snapback” is legally baseless and politically destructive,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X.
He said by declaring the E3’s move null and void, we have placed on record that no party can erase the sequence of events: it was the United States that first violated the JCPOA and Resolution 2231, and it was Europe that subsequently chose to align with unlawful sanctions instead of honoring its own commitments.
“These undeniable facts must frame any serious discussion at the Security Council,” he noted.
He warned that selective compliance and procedural abuse would fatally undermine the credibility of international agreements.
“What is at stake is not only Iran’s rights but the integrity of international agreements themselves,” he said, adding that the Security Council must serve as a guardian of stability rather than “an instrument of coercion.”
