Live - European states trigger 'snapback' to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran

Summary

Britain, France and Germany on Thursday triggered a 30-day process - the so-called 'snapback' mechanism - to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program in a formal letter sent the UN Security Council.
Iran condemned the European sanctions move as malicious and illegal, calling for UNSC members to back a six-month extension to encourage a diplomatic solution.
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar welcomed the European move, saying it was key to thwarting Iran's nuclear ambitions.
European diplomats said Iran made no meaningful commitments during recent talks in Geneva and remains in breach of the 2015 nuclear deal.
The snapback mechanism under UN Resolution 2231 allows sanctions to return automatically after 30 days unless a new resolution blocks it.

2 hours ago

Iranian MP advances motion to exit Non-Proliferation Treaty

An Iranian member of parliament on Thursday said he was urgently drafting legislation to pull Tehran from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as retaliation for a move by European states to reimpose UN sanctions.

The plan, MP Hossein Ali Haji-Deligani told the Tasnim news agency, could be approved by parliament as early as next week.

The NPT, which Iran ratified in 1970, allows countries to acquire civilian nuclear power but bars the pursuit of atomic weapons and mandates cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"Other measures that are regrettable for the key countries of the snapback will also be taken," he added without elaborating.

"There is no one in Iran who does not believe that negotiations with these countries are useless, so we must stop all our negotiations with them until they stop this duplicitous behavior."

3 hours ago

Ex-nuclear negotiator Zarif says European snapback aims to protect Israel

"Will Europe live in a safer world if they use this dispute resolution mechanism in bad faith in order to go back to Security Council resolutions that we all decided to stop? What are they trying to gain? They try to support Israel," former top nuclear negotiator Mohammad-Javad Zarif told Foreign Policy in an interview.

Speaking before the Germany, Britain and France triggered a mechanism from the 2015 international nuclear deal the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to reimpose UN sanctions, Zarif said the troika was abusing that agreement.

"I don’t know what audacity they have in order to try to use the dispute resolution mechanism. It’s not called snapback in the JCPOA or the (United Nations) Security Council. It’s called 'dispute resolution mechanism.'"

The relative moderate added that the snapback move was part of an Israeli-Western strategy to confront Iran and thwart diplomacy.

"They use war, and then they use diplomacy, and then they use mechanisms to resolve disputes. This is indicative of bad faith."

3 hours ago

Sanctions snapback augurs deeper pain for Iran's ailing economy

Iran could face fresh shocks to its already deeply rattled currency, costs of living and growth prospects if UN sanctions lifted by a 2015 nuclear deal are reimposed.

Activation of the snapback mechanism would reinstate comprehensive UN sanctions which would include travel bans, asset freezes, UN inspections of Iranian shipments and arms trade prohibitions—but notably exclude direct sanctions on oil exports or the Central Bank of Iran.

Renewed UN sanctions would indirectly reduce oil revenues, constrain access to foreign currency and place heavy pressure on the rial.

ANALYSISSnapback is West's least worst option, former US official says

"Triggering snapback at this juncture is the right decision. Iran remains far out of compliance with its JCPOA and safeguards obligations and there is no near term prospect of any nuclear deal, especially given that Iran refuses to meet with the U.S." former US National Security Council director for counterproliferation Eric Brewer said.

"It is not a decision to be celebrated. One can catalog the list of policy failures that led us to this place, not least of which is the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. Nor is snapback some panacea that will cause Iranian capitulation," Brewer, also a former deputy national intelligence officer for weapons of mass destruction, wrote on X.

"Indeed, there will likely be a major gap between the sanctions that exist on paper and their implementation by key players in practice," added Brewer, who is currently vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative.

"Snapback, should it happen, is more about avoiding loss rather than trying to secure immediate strategic gain. It’s a least worst option."

6 hours ago

Hardline MP blasts European sanctions move as part of US-Israeli plot

"The JCPOA, the imposition of the trigger mechanism, the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the 12-day war were all pieces of an American and Israeli plan," said Mahmoud Nabavian, the deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee.

"The authors the JCPOA's imposition and the trigger mechanism on the nation, some of whom are now brazenly seeking to make concessions to the enemy, must be tried," he added on X, apparently referring to Iranian moderates.

6 hours ago

President Trump to address United Nations next month

US President Donald Trump is due to address the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Thursday.

6 hours ago

ANALYSISIran response to snapback move bodes friction ahead, WSJ reporter says

Wall Street Journal reporter and veteran nuclear diplomacy watcher Laurence Norman wrote on Thursday that Iran's reaction to a European move to renew UN sanctions was measured but that diplomatic confrontation looms.

"Iran tells E3 to back a Russian plan to extend 2231 with no SnapBack provision and no real Iranian steps to meet conditions," he wrote on X. "If they were gonna do that, they wouldn’t have triggered SnapBack. That suggests diplomatic confrontation."

"Iran SnapBack statement full of attacks on E3 and reiteration of what Tehran says is illegal and baseless move by Europeans. But relatively light on specific threats. Says will “seriously undermine” talks with IAEA, though that’s vaguer than @Gharibabadi comments earlier," he added, referring to Iran's deputy foreign minister.

"And (Iran) warns of an “appropriate” response. So all options remain open. But it’s not closing off any immediate diplomatic paths. Which is worth at least noting."

7 hours ago

Israel says 'it's about time' Europeans pursued sanctions

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said on Thursday that the European move to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran would help ensure international peace.

"I welcome the decision of Germany, France and the UK to reimpose sanctions against Iran," Danon said in a video message.

"Israel has already shown its commitment to fight the radical regime in Tehran. It is about time the international community will continue to apply more pressure, to apply more sanctions against this regime - that is the only way to ensure the safety and stability of the world."

8 hours ago

Iran calls for sanctions deadline extension to make diplomatic progress

Iran's mission to the United Nations on Thursday called for UN Security Council members to back a six-month extension on the window for reimposing international sanctions, saying the move would encourage diplomacy.

8 hours ago

Israel blesses sanctions move as key curb to Iran nuclear ambitions

2 hours ago

Iranian MP advances motion to exit Non-Proliferation Treaty

The plan, MP Hossein Ali Haji-Deligani told the Tasnim news agency, could be approved by parliament as early as next week.

"Other measures that are regrettable for the key countries of the snapback will also be taken," he added without elaborating.

"There is no one in Iran who does not believe that negotiations with these countries are useless, so we must stop all our negotiations with them until they stop this duplicitous behavior."

3 hours ago

Ex-nuclear negotiator Zarif says European snapback aims to protect Israel

The relative moderate added that the snapback move was part of an Israeli-Western strategy to confront Iran and thwart diplomacy.

"They use war, and then they use diplomacy, and then they use mechanisms to resolve disputes. This is indicative of bad faith."

3 hours ago

Sanctions snapback augurs deeper pain for Iran's ailing economy

Iran could face fresh shocks to its already deeply rattled currency, costs of living and growth prospects if UN sanctions lifted by a 2015 nuclear deal are reimposed.

Renewed UN sanctions would indirectly reduce oil revenues, constrain access to foreign currency and place heavy pressure on the rial.

ANALYSISSnapback is West's least worst option, former US official says

"Snapback, should it happen, is more about avoiding loss rather than trying to secure immediate strategic gain. It’s a least worst option."

6 hours ago

Hardline MP blasts European sanctions move as part of US-Israeli plot

6 hours ago

President Trump to address United Nations next month

US President Donald Trump is due to address the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Thursday.

6 hours ago

ANALYSISIran response to snapback move bodes friction ahead, WSJ reporter says

"And (Iran) warns of an “appropriate” response. So all options remain open. But it’s not closing off any immediate diplomatic paths. Which is worth at least noting."

7 hours ago

Israel says 'it's about time' Europeans pursued sanctions

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said on Thursday that the European move to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran would help ensure international peace.

"I welcome the decision of Germany, France and the UK to reimpose sanctions against Iran," Danon said in a video message.

8 hours ago

Iran calls for sanctions deadline extension to make diplomatic progress

8 hours ago