Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Saturday that Britain, France, and Germany risk “losing everything” if they move ahead with restoring UN sanctions on Tehran through the so-called snapback mechanism.
"It is not just that the E3 has no legal, political, or moral entitlement to invoke "snapback", and that even if they did, "use or lose it" doesn't work," Araghchi said in a post on X.
"It's that the correct expression for the E3's dilemma is "use it *and* lose it". Or better yet, "use it and lose it *all*"," he said, without providing further details.
The three European powers triggered the snapback process on August 28 under Resolution 2231, demanding Iran return to talks, grant wider access to inspectors, and account for its missing uranium stockpiles.
Sanctions will be automatically reimposed within 30 days unless the Security Council votes otherwise.
Tehran has rejected the move. Speaking on state TV Thursday, Araghchi said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium remained intact despite Israeli and US airstrikes in June.
“Our enriched uranium is buried under the rubble of bombed nuclear facilities,” he said, marking the first official acknowledgment the material survived.
The Supreme National Security Council would decide on Iran’s response if sanctions return, he added without giving details.
The UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) reported earlier this month that Iran’s 60% enriched uranium stockpile rose nearly eight percent before the June strikes, reaching 440.9 kilograms.
Reuters reported in June that most of the enriched uranium at Iran’s Fordow facility appeared to have been moved days before the attacks.
The United States on Wednesday urged Iran to take “immediate and concrete action” to meet its nuclear safeguards obligations, warning the IAEA board may need to act if Tehran fails to cooperate.
