WANA (Aug 15) – Russia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations has formally objected to a plan by Germany, France, and the United Kingdom to activate the so-called “snapback” mechanism and reinstate previous UN Security Council sanctions against Iran. The objection was submitted on August 11, 2025, in the form of an explanatory note to the Security Council, which has been registered as an official Council document.

 

In the note, Moscow stressed that under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the snapback mechanism may only be invoked by a participant in the JCPOA after completing all dispute-resolution steps set out in paragraphs 36 and 37 of the agreement. Russia asserted that Germany, France, and the UK had not followed these procedures and, moreover, had themselves engaged in “material breaches” of the JCPOA and Resolution 2231 — particularly through their failure to uphold commitments after the United States withdrew from the deal in May 2018.

 

The document cited multiple instances of European conduct that, according to Moscow, violated their international obligations. These included full alignment with Washington’s “maximum pressure” policy, the imposition and reimposition of unilateral sanctions on Iran, and failure to implement commitments related to the “Transition Day” on October 18, 2023. Moscow said such actions not only breached legal obligations but also called into question the good faith of the three European states.

 

Russia’s mission underscored that the “snapback” was designed as a remedial tool in response to “significant non-performance” but that the current circumstances — which it said involve extensive violations by both the US and the three European states — should first be addressed through the diplomatic and agreed JCPOA channels. The note described Iran’s compensatory measures, including the reduction and suspension of certain nuclear commitments, as legitimate responses based on rights explicitly provided under the JCPOA.

 

Moscow warned that any attempt to restore the old UN Security Council resolutions — which it said had already achieved their objectives and whose related International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issues had been closed years ago — would be ineffective, legally baseless, and harmful to diplomatic processes.

 

In conclusion, Russia reiterated its position that sanctions and pressure are not solutions, calling on all parties to abandon the political use of Security Council mechanisms and return to dialogue and engagement based on mutual respect, in order to ensure the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA and Resolution 2231.

Foreign Ministers of the European Troika. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Foreign Ministers of the European Troika. Social media/ WANA News Agency