Russia and China have condemned a decision by Britain, Germany and France to launch a process that could reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.
The three European countries, known as the E3, launched the so-called “snapback mechanism” on Thursday over accusations that Iran has violated a 2015 deal that aimed to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapons capability in return for the lifting of international sanctions.
The move opens a 30-day window during which a new UN resolution to continue sanctions relief must be adopted to prevent penalties from being reimposed.
“We strongly condemn these actions by European countries and call on the international community to reject them,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday in a statement that blamed the United States and the Europeans for the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal.
China said the move by the European countries was “not constructive”.
“The Iranian nuclear issue is at a critical juncture. Launching the Security Council’s snapback mechanism of sanctions is not constructive and will undermine the process of a political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular media briefing on Friday.
Iran earlier decried the move, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying it was “unjustified” and “lacking any legal basis” in a call with his European counterparts.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately to this unlawful and unwarranted measure,” he said. Hours later, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the move by the European countries will “gravely undermine” its ongoing cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog agency.
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