Iran said on Tuesday it is concerned about the possible return of United Nations sanctions under the snapback mechanism and is taking diplomatic steps to manage the fallout, ahead of a looming deadline and scheduled nuclear talks with European powers in Geneva.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran is fully aware of the risks and warned that the issue should not become a source of psychological pressure on the public. “We are not trying to reduce the importance of this issue,” he told reporters in Tehran. “We are concerned about the consequences and have long been working on this. But it should not turn into a source of anxiety for our citizens.”
Baghaei said Iran has included the snapback issue in its foreign policy planning for months and is engaged in consultations with China and Russia. He confirmed that Iranian officials are reviewing the text of a Russian-drafted UN Security Council resolution that proposes delaying the expiration of Resolution 2231 by six months.
Talks with Europe scheduled as deadline nears
The comments come ahead of a new round of nuclear talks scheduled to take place in Geneva on Tuesday between Iran and the E3 — Britain, France, and Germany.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi is set to lead the delegation. European diplomats have said the talks will focus on Iran’s nuclear program and efforts to avoid the reimposition of UN sanctions.
The E3 have warned they may trigger the snapback mechanism by the end of August if Iran does not return to talks with concrete results. Under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, all UN sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal could automatically be reimposed if one party accuses Iran of non-compliance.
Tehran argues the European countries no longer have legal standing to activate the measure and has rejected the legitimacy of such a move. “When we say the European parties have no legal standing, that means we not only reject their authority, but are also deeply concerned about the implications,” Baghaei said.
Iran’s position on extension remains unclear
In recent weeks, Iranian officials have sent mixed signals about the prospect of extending the timeline. Top security official Ali Larijani has rejected the idea, saying the deal was never meant to be extended repeatedly and warning that “rule-twisting” would not be accepted.
However, according to Axios, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has shown some openness to the Russian proposal in private talks with his European counterparts. A final decision has not been made.
