Iran, Russia, and China send joint letter to UN on Snapback Mechanism

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, provided details regarding the joint letter by the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia, and China to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, as follows:

“Our joint letter, signed in Tianjin by myself and my counterparts from the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, reflects our firm position that the European states’ attempt to trigger the so-called ‘snapback mechanism’ lacks any legal basis and constitutes a destructive political move.

By declaring the action of the three European countries (E3) invalid, we have formally recorded that no party can erase the sequence of events: it was the United States that first violated the JCPOA and Resolution 2231, and it was Europe that, instead of honoring its commitments, chose to align itself with illegal sanctions. These undeniable facts must frame any serious discussion in the Security Council.

We also emphasized a fundamental principle of international law: rights and obligations are inseparable. States that fail to uphold their obligations have no right to benefit from an agreement they themselves have undermined. The credibility of multilateral diplomacy will only be preserved on this basis. What is at stake is not only the rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but also the integrity and credibility of international agreements as a whole. If selective implementation of commitments and abuse of legal processes are tolerated, the foundations of collective security will be gravely weakened.

The Security Council’s main duty is to act on behalf of the international community to maintain international peace and security. The proposal of the three European states is, in fact, a betrayal of this mission, as it would transform the Council from a guardian of global stability into an instrument of coercion and pressure. The urgent task before us is to restore and strengthen the rule of international law, so that diplomacy may have the necessary space to succeed.”