Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the move “unjustified, illegal, and lacking any legal basis” and stressed that Iran will respond appropriately to protect its national rights and interests.
The snapback process, a veto-proof measure embedded in the 2015 nuclear deal, was initiated despite Tehran’s continued commitment to diplomacy and transparency, said Araghchi.
“Iran has acted responsibly and in good faith in adhering to diplomacy for resolving nuclear-related issues,” Araghchi said, stressing that Iran’s stance remains firm in defending its legal rights under international law and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately to this unlawful and unwarranted measure by the three European countries to protect its national rights and interests,” Araghchi said.
While E3 moves to trigger UN sanctions against Iran via snapback mechanism, Tehran has warned of severe consequences of the politically.
France, Britain, and Germany, as parties to the JCPOA, earlier said they would use their rights under the deal to restore sanctions on Iran before a late October deadline when a UN Security Council resolution enshrining the deal expires.
Reuters earlier reported that the E3 is likely to initiate the activation process of the Snapback mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran on Thursday.
Iran has condemned the announcement, saying the three countries have been influenced by the US, which withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, and its attempts to force Iran to dismantle its peaceful nuclear program.
Iran, meanwhile, has warned the UK, France, and Germany that it would stop interaction with the United Nations nuclear watchdog if the trio managed to have the UN Security Council restore its sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks on Wednesday after coming back from talks with the countries’ representatives in Geneva.
According to the official, the Iranian diplomatic mission to the talks ”made it clear” to the European sides that if they managed to force restoration of the bans, “then naturally Iran will show the necessary reaction.”
The troika has been trying to enable the bans’ reinstatement, alleging, without any evidence, that Iran had violated a 2015 nuclear deal by “diverting” its peaceful nuclear energy program towards military purposes.
In order to realize return of the bans, they have been pushing for activation of the so-called “snapback” mechanism that has been included in the deal.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has, however, never found any proof of the trio’s claims.
Gharibabadi said the troika were warned about the consequences of their “choosing to disregard the goodwill and constructive approach of the Islamic Republic, which has consistently stressed diplomatic settlement of the issue.”
In case of the European parties’ refusal, “continuing this interactive process would be meaningless,” he added.
The Islamic Republic, the official stated, would additionally retaliate by stopping its talks with the Europeans.
“We also underlined that if this scenario unfolds, Europe will in practice sideline itself from the diplomatic track and from dialogue with Iran.”
From that point onward, talks would be pursued only within the framework of the Security Council and with its members, and no further dialogue with Europe would take place in this field, the official stated.
The ball is, therefore, in Europe’s court to either take the path of confrontation or that of engagement and cooperation. “Iran is prepared for both scenarios. We hope they will act wisely.”
He, meanwhile, reminded that the European trio had lost all legal and moral rights to resort to “snapback” because they had already failed to implement the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
He was pointing to the countries’ having illegally and unilaterally returned their own sanctions against Iran that they had lifted in line with the JCPOA.
Gharibabadi additionally underlined that Russia and China had proposed prevention of activation of the “snapback” by submitting a draft resolution aimed at extending Security Council Resolution 2231 that has endorsed the JCPOA.