Iran warns European powers against 'abusing' snapback mechanism

Tehran, May 12 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned France, Britain, and Germany of the consequences for "abusing" the snapback mechanism.

He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X on Monday while reacting to remarks by the E3 group of France, Britain, and Germany to trigger the snapback mechanism against Iran.

The mechanism is a clause in the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), between Iran and world powers that would allow the other parties to re-impose all international sanctions should Tehran fail to comply with the agreement.

"We have officially warned all JCPOA signatories that (any) abuse of the snapback mechanism will lead to consequences -- not only the end of Europe's role in the agreement, but also an escalation of tensions that could become irreversible," Araghchi said.

"How we respond at this crucial moment will determine the future of Iran-Europe relations far more profoundly than many realize," he noted.

Araghchi voiced Iran's readiness "to turn the page," expressing hope that its European partners would demonstrate the same willingness, Xinhua news agency reported.

Late last month, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, "It goes without saying that once the Iranian nuclear deal expires in a few weeks, if European security interests are not assured, we will not hesitate for a second to reapply all the sanctions that were lifted 10 years ago."

This comes as Iran and the United States have held four rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear programme and the removal of Washington's sanctions over the past few weeks.

Iran signed the JCPOA in 2015 with six countries -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States. Under the deal, Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

The United States, led by President Donald Trump during his first term, unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to gradually reduce compliance with its nuclear commitments. Efforts to revive the agreement have not achieved substantial progress.

--IANS

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