Triggering “Snapback” Is a Continuation of the 12-Day War
WANA (Aug 30) – Germany, the UK, and France have submitted a letter to the UN Security Council announcing that they have triggered the “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran. In this context, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on X: “This move does not mean the end of diplomacy. We are determined to make full use of the 30-day period that has now begun for talks with Iran.”
1- The question arises: given that the JCPOA has effectively lost its validity after the US withdrawal, what legal and political grounds does the European trio’s action stand on, and what necessity remains for further negotiations with Europe? The issue of Iran potentially leaving the NPT has once again become part of the debate.
New mural at Tehran’s Enghelab Square: Iran’s next-generation centrifuges and nuclear capabilities, accompanied by the slogan “Knowledge is Power.” 27th Aug 2025. Social Media / WANA News Agency
2- In early 2003, after the second visit of Mohamed ElBaradei, then Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to Iran, an Iranian newspaper noted that the Agency’s demands, which at that time seemed inconsistent with the NPT, suggested that Iran’s nuclear program was not the real issue but rather a pretext for political pressure. Referring to Article 10 of the NPT, that commentary argued that withdrawal from the treaty was the only realistic option. Now, 23 years later, the same issues remain unresolved.
3- A few years later, George Friedman, head of the U.S. intelligence and strategic forecasting institute Stratfor and a figure close to the White House, wrote in his book The Next Decade: “The U.S. government’s priority in the Middle East is to prevent Iran’s advance.” He stressed further: “The U.S. problem with Iran is not its nuclear program. The issue is that Iran has shown that not only without relations with the U.S., but even in direct confrontation with it, it can become the region’s leading military and technological power. This makes Iran a model for other regional states.”
Arak nuclear facility after U.S. strike. Social media/ WANA News Agency
4- Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement condemning the action of the three European states, calling it “provocative and unnecessary,” and warning that “this move will be met with appropriate responses.” While the ministry did not elaborate on what such responses would entail, some analysts argue that Iran’s continued participation in the NPT leaves it vulnerable to political pressures. During the recent 12-day war, European states aligned themselves with the U.S. and Israel, and did not even condemn U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. From this perspective, the latest European action may be seen as an extension of the same conflict.
5- Reports suggest that members of Iran’s parliament are drafting a bill under “triple urgency” to compel the government to withdraw from the NPT. If passed, such legislation would serve both as an official response to Europe’s recent moves and as political backing for the Foreign Ministry in pursuing what is seen as a delayed but necessary course of action.
Iran Will Respond to European Troika’s Illegal Snapback Move
WANA (Aug 28) – Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi rejected as “illegal and baseless” the decision by France, Germany, and the UK to activate the so-called snapback mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal, warning that Tehran will respond appropriately to safeguard its national rights and interests. According to the Foreign Ministry, Araghchi made […]
