Embargo on conventional weapons, restrictions on the development of ballistic missiles, asset freezes, travel bans, and bans on the production of nuclear-related technology. These are some of the sanctions that the UN imposed on Iran before the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached in 2015. These sanctions could be reintroduced after France, Germany, and the United Kingdom activate the “snapback” mechanism, through which the three countries will reintroduce sanctions against Tehran. These measures, according to Russia and China , will lead to"irreparable consequences and a new tragedy." The first, according to Iranian agencies, concerns the plan already underway by Tehran to withdraw from the non-proliferation agreement. The Iranian parliament, they write, has begun drafting a plan to withdraw from the treaty.
"By acting outside the legal framework and inciting other states to pursue arbitrary action, the European JCPOA participants are only worsening their position as violators. We urge them to come to their senses and reconsider their erroneous decisions before they lead to irreparable consequences and a new tragedy. We are convinced that their confrontational stance against Tehran has no prospects," commented Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA), Iran agreed to limit uranium enrichment to levels needed for civilian nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was tasked with monitoring Iran's nuclear program. The purpose of the"snapback" mechanism is to quickly reimpose all sanctions prior to the agreement, bypassing the veto of UN Security Council members, including permanent members such as Russia and China. During the July talks, the three European countries had offered Iran a postponement of the snapback if Tehran met three conditions: resume negotiations with the United States on its nuclear program, allow UN nuclear inspectors access to its sites, and account for the more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium it possesses, according to the UN watchdog.
Tehran, which now enriches uranium to levels close to those usable for military purposes, rejected the proposal. The US and Iran had attempted to reach a new nuclear deal earlier this year, but talks were not resumed after 12 days of Israeli bombing of Iranian nuclear and military sites, as well as the US attack on June 22. The process for reinstating sanctions began on August 28, when France, Germany, and the UK formally notified the UN of Iran's"significant failure to comply with its commitments." This triggers a 30-day period during which a new resolution, a new agreement, must be adopted to ease the sanctions. This is unlikely given that the US, UK, and France would veto it. It is therefore highly likely that, after 30 days, the sanctions will automatically enter into force. At this stage, in fact, no further vote is necessary: no member of the UN Security Council can block the reintroduction of sanctions.
Earlier this year, European countries agreed with the United States to set the end of August as the deadline to activate the sanctions reinstatement mechanism if no agreement was reached with Iran. The US cannot trigger the reinstatement of sanctions because President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the nuclear deal in 2018, during his first term as president. The three countries had to hurry: the possibility of activating the reinstatement expired on October 18, meaning that after that date the sanctions could have been blocked by China and Russia, which have provided support to Iran in the past. Furthermore, the timing was accelerated by the fact that Russia will take over the presidency of the Security Council in October, succeeding South Korea. Although Russia cannot veto the reintroduction of sanctions under the snapback mechanism, diplomats say Moscow could resort to procedural delaying tactics until the nuclear deal expires.
