Iran says UK, Germany and France cannot trigger renewed UN sanctions

Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday that the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal (E3) have no legal or moral standing to trigger the deal’s dispute mechanism, known as the snapback.

Speaking during a meeting of the IAEA’s Board of Governors on Wednesday, Mohsen Naziri Asl accused Britain, France and Germany (known as the E3) of violating both the 2015 nuclear deal, or JCPOA, and UN Security Council Resolution 2231 – the basis for the deal.

"Since the E3 are in violation of Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, they lack the legal and moral standing to trigger the dispute resolution mechanism in response to Iran's limited and legitimate actions, which are explicitly recognized in the JCPOA," he said.

He argued that they had no grounds to reactivate the dispute process in response to what he called Iran’s legitimate measures, which he said were explicitly permitted under the agreement.

“Any attempt to trigger the dispute mechanism or pursue this futile path is legally baseless, unjust and unlawful, and will be firmly rejected,” he added.

The snapback mechanism allows for the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions on Iran if it is deemed to have violated the JCPOA.

Iran has progressively reduced its compliance with the nuclear deal in response to the United States' 2018 withdrawal from the agreement and the subsequent reimposition of sanctions, including reducing access to IAEA inspectors.

The E3 has repeatedly expressed concern over Iran's nuclear activities, but Tehran maintains its actions are justified and within the framework of the JCPOA.

During another session of the IAEA Board of Governors on Tuesday, the European Union warned that Iran’s continued nuclear expansion poses a growing risk of proliferation, calling on Tehran to return to its commitments under 2015 deal and adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

The United States also said Iran's accelerating nuclear program is imperiling world peace and either aims to get Tehran closer to a bomb or force the world to ease sanctions.