Pezeshkian: Snapback and the Return of Sanctions Are Illegal

WANA (Sep 27) – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a meeting with the UN Secretary-General, stated: “Despite Iran’s compliance with its commitments and Russia and China’s opposition to the implementation of snapback, enforcing it and reinstating sanctions is both immoral and illegal.”

During the meeting, Pezeshkian thanked the Secretary-General for his efforts to promote peace and his positions regarding the war in Gaza, adding: “Unfortunately, atrocities and genocide are taking place in Gaza while the UN Security Council has failed to take any action—even as little as issuing a condemnation—to stop this war.”

He expressed hope that the UN Secretary-General would use his authority to prevent such a move, reiterating that the re-imposition of sanctions under snapback lacks both legal and moral legitimacy.

The UN Secretary-General, for his part, referred to the UN’s efforts to hold Israel accountable and to stop the war, noting: “The United Nations has lost several hundred of its staff members during this conflict.” António Guterres voiced hope that a diplomatic solution could still be found in the remaining days before snapback is triggered, so that sanctions would not return.

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Earlier, the UN Security Council convened to discuss and vote on a draft resolution proposed by Russia and China aimed at preventing the automatic re-imposition of UN sanctions against Iran. The resolution, which sought a six-month technical extension of Resolution 2231 (until April 18, 2026), failed due to U.S. and European opposition. It received four votes in favor (China, Russia, Pakistan, and Algeria), nine against (France, the UK, the U.S., Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Denmark, Panama, Somalia, and Greece), and two abstentions (Guyana and South Korea).

With the rejection of this draft, the process described in paragraph 11 of Resolution 2231 entered its final stage, placing sanctions lifted after the 2015 nuclear agreement (JCPOA) on the verge of automatic reinstatement.

Iran has repeatedly emphasized that it has fully complied with its commitments, while the unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the European parties’ failure to honor their obligations are the main causes of the current situation.

Analysts believe Washington and European capitals, which over the past seven years have undermined the JCPOA through unilateral and unlawful measures, are now exploiting Security Council mechanisms to intensify political and economic pressure on Tehran. This comes despite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) repeatedly confirming the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities. Recently, Iran and the IAEA even reached an agreement in Cairo.

Iranian officials have condemned the snapback process as unlawful, stressing that the Islamic Republic will never bow to coercion and pressure. Tehran has consistently stated it remains ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and genuine sanctions relief—but any policy of pressure and threats will be met with a firm response.

Previously, Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told PBS that Western claims about Iran seeking nuclear weapons were unfounded, reminding that “the IAEA has repeatedly confirmed in the past that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapons program.”

He also explained the efforts made to prevent activation of the snapback mechanism: “We made proposals to resolve the issue, and the Europeans had their own views. But if snapback is enforced, our cooperation with the IAEA will be suspended. This is a resolution passed by Iran’s parliament.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, in a note condemning the European trio’s push to trigger snapback, wrote: “By starting this game, the European troika has inflicted serious damage on Europe’s international credibility and standing. In this game, the three European countries will not only fail to win, but they will also be sidelined from future diplomatic processes.”

Araghchi at the UN Security Council session. Social media /WANA News Agency