TEHRAN – Iran has issued a stark warning to European powers, stating it will exit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if UN Security Council sanctions are reimposed through the snapback mechanism.

In an interview with Iran’s national television, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi stated that Iran's stance was communicated to European leaders through an official letter during the late President Ebrahim Raisi's administration. “This position remains unchanged,” the diplomat declared. 

The snapback mechanism outlined in UN Resolution 2231 permits permanent members of the Security Council and Germany to reinstate UN sanctions if Iran violates its JCPOA obligations.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015. It limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the termination of Western sanctions.

The deal, however, fell apart in 2018, when then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the deal and reinstated sanctions against Iran. Tehran began to scale back on some of its obligations 1.5 years later as the remaining European signatories to the deal failed to neutralize the sanctions. 

In his Thursday remarks, Gharibabadi indicated that European countries appear hesitant to trigger the snapback mechanism, cognizant of Iran's potential response. 

Addressing the recent anti-Iran IAEA resolution, Gharibabadi noted that it is distinct from matters related to the UN Security Council and will not lead to an NPT withdrawal. He also warned against utilizing international organizations as political tools against Iran.