Why it matters:
Iran has fulfilled all of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). However, the United States and European countries not only failed to fulfill their commitments, the most important of which was the lifting of sanctions. The United States not only withdrew from the agreement in 2018 but also forced other countries to comply with the ever-increasing U.S. sanctions against Iran.
The big picture:
The snapback mechanism, embedded in UN Resolution 2231, allows participants of the JCPOA to restore sanctions if Iran violates the deal. The Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in a note to the Security Council, argues that European powers failed to follow dispute resolution procedures and shares blame for undermining the agreement after the U.S. withdrawal in 2018.
What Russia is saying:
- "Any effort to restore previous UN resolutions is ‘illegitimate,’ ‘ineffective,’ ‘legally unfounded,’ and ‘harmful’ to diplomatic processes."
- Germany, France, and the U.K. "did not follow" the required steps for snapback and are "complicit in fundamental violations" of the deal by failing to uphold their commitments after the U.S. exit.
- European powers are "complicit in fundamental violations" of the JCPOA and Resolution 2231.
- Russia described Iran’s incremental reduction of nuclear commitments as a "legitimate response" under the JCPOA’s provisions.
Key points:
- Snapback dispute: Russia insists snapback can only be triggered after exhausting dispute resolution mechanisms (Articles 36–37 of the JCPOA).
- European role: Accuses E3 of contributing to the deal’s erosion by not countering U.S. sanctions.
- Iran’s stance: Defends Tehran’s nuclear steps as lawful under the JCPOA’s "remedial measures" clause.
Go deeper:
Russia: Europe Lacks Moral, Legal Right to Trigger Snapback Mechanism
M.Majdi - Mojtaba Darabi
