TEHRAN – Iran has strongly rejected attempts by the UK, France, and Germany to activate the snapback mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal, arguing that the three European countries have no legal or moral standing to do so after failing to uphold their own commitments.

In his speech during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Board of Governors on Wednesday, Mohsen Naziri-e Asl, Iran’s representative to international organizations in Vienna noted the European Troika’s violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, rendering their snapback claims baseless. 

He reiterated that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons and remains committed to its non-proliferation obligations. However, despite years of patience and restraint, Iran saw no tangible results from its compliance with the JCPOA. 

Tehran, he emphasized, is willing to fully restore its commitments—but only if the U.S. and Europe lift sanctions in a verifiable manner.  

Snapback claims are ‘illegal and delusional’: Russia

Russia has also dismissed the European Troika’s claims, with Mikhail Ulyanov, Russian Ambassador to the IAEA, condemning the move as illegitimate. 

Speaking at an IAEA Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday, he urged the three European countries to abandon their "illusions" about reinstating sanctions and instead focus on diplomatic solutions. 

Ulyanov underscored that the JCPOA was a delicate diplomatic compromise requiring all parties to honor their obligations. He pointed out that the United States violated Resolution 2231 in 2018 when it withdrew from the deal, imposed sanctions, and launched its "maximum pressure" policy against Iran.

The UK, Germany, and France, he added, initially failed to counteract U.S. sanctions and later aligned themselves with Washington by illegally reinstating expired restrictions from Resolution 2231 (which ended in October 2023) into their national laws.  

Iran, according to Ulyanov, exercised "maximum patience" for over a year by complying with its JCPOA commitments, the Additional Protocol, and the Modified Code 3.1, despite Washington’s violations. Only after repeated diplomatic efforts failed did Tehran begin rolling back its commitments in 2021. The Russian diplomat argued that Iran’s uranium enrichment to 60% was not an aggressive move but a direct response to Western violations of the agreement. He then posed a rhetorical question: "Under such circumstances, does Iran have the right to activate JCPOA’s protective mechanisms?" His answer was unequivocal: "Absolutely, yes."  

Referring to the latest IAEA Director General's report, Ulyanov noted that most allegations against Iran stem from its legal right to adjust nuclear activities under Resolution 2231. He highlighted that Iran is subject to the most extensive IAEA monitoring among member states, with oversight costs exceeding €10 million annually. He also accused Western nations of deliberately undermining agreements reached between the IAEA and Tehran in November.  

Dismissing European threats to invoke snapback sanctions, Ulyanov called such rhetoric both irresponsible and unlawful. He argued that any country that violates Resolution 2231 loses the right to invoke its mechanisms, including the snapback clause. This stance, he emphasized, is backed by the 1971 International Court of Justice ruling and was reaffirmed by the 2020 UN Security Council decision, which rejected a similar attempt by the Trump administration. He urged European leaders to abandon coercive tactics and focus on diplomacy.  

With only six months remaining until October 18, 2025—the JCPOA Implementation Day—Russia is pushing for renewed diplomatic engagement. Ulyanov stressed that a constructive approach between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties is essential, and that the IAEA Director General could play a key role in facilitating talks. However, he warned that any further Western escalation could eliminate the chances of a diplomatic resolution.  

Ulyanov cautioned that ongoing accusations and military threats against Iran are unacceptable and could lead to severe military and political crises. He argued that historical precedent demonstrates that successful arms control agreements are achieved through diplomacy, not pressure campaigns.  

Since the JCPOA was signed, Iran fully complied with its commitments, yet the U.S. unilaterally withdrew in 2018, and European nations failed to uphold their obligations. In response, Iran legally reduced its commitments under the deal. Revival talks for the JCPOA have stalled due to Western hesitation and excessive demands. Despite these challenges, Iran has continued its diplomatic engagement with the IAEA and has shown willingness to restore the JCPOA—provided that sanctions relief is guaranteed. Recent negotiations with the European Troika in Geneva highlight Tehran’s continued preference for diplomacy.  

The issue of the snapback mechanism has been a contentious one for years. During his previous administration, Donald Trump pressured Europe to activate snapback sanctions before Iran had even begun enriching uranium to 60%. Under the mechanism, pre-JCPOA sanctions could be reinstated, forcing Iran to halt all uranium enrichment, reprocessing, and heavy-water projects. Meanwhile, Europe’s latest resolution at the IAEA Board of Governors has increased tensions further by demanding a comprehensive report on Iran’s nuclear activities by Spring 2025. Tehran has called this move a sign of European hostility.  

In response to these latest threats, Iran has warned that it may withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) if the snapback mechanism is fully reinstated. This warning was conveyed by Iranian diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi following Geneva talks with UK, French, and German representatives in December 2024.