Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that Tehran is cooperating with Russia and China in a bid to prevent the reinstatement of European sanctions tied to its nuclear program, following threats from Britain, France, and Germany to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism.
“We will try to prevent it,” Araghchi said during an interview with Iranian state television, as quoted by AFP.
“We are working with China and Russia to stop it. If this does not work and they apply it, we have tools to respond. We will discuss them in due course,” he added.
France, Germany and the UK have warned they are prepared to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran unless it returns to negotiations over its nuclear program.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council this week, the three foreign ministers said, “We have made it clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism.”
The three European powers are signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which is set to expire in October and includes a clause allowing for the automatic reimposition of sanctions in the event of non-compliance.
Araghchi in May issued a stark warning to the European powers, cautioning that any move to trigger UN sanctions on Tehran could lead to a serious and potentially irreversible escalation in tensions, Reuters reported.
Last month, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi threatened that the Islamic Republic would leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if UN sanctions are “snapped back”.