Iran warns Snapback mechanism could backfire on all sides

The use of the "snapback" mechanism related to Iran's nuclear program under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will undoubtedly have negative consequences for its European members as well, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said,Trend reports.

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran today, Baghaei stated that there is no justification for activating this mechanism against Iran.

This mechanism could simply be used for political pressure against Iran, he said.

"Iran has never pursued a strategy of confrontation. Iran bases its negotiations on discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and JCPOA members," he added.

The Spokesperson further noted that Iran’s negotiations with European countries have been carried out and will continue in the future.

The "snapback" mechanism is a provision within the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. It allows any of the signatory countries to reimpose previously lifted international sanctions on Iran if they believe Iran is violating the terms of the agreement. If the issue is not resolved through diplomatic channels, the country raising the concern can refer the matter to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), where the sanctions can be reinstated. The term "snapback" refers to the quick reapplication of these sanctions, which were suspended as part of the deal's terms.

Under Articles 36 and 37 of the JCPOA, various stages are initiated if one of the member countries files a complaint against another party for violating the plan. If these stages are not resolved, the complaining country can bring the issue before the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). If the complaint against Iran is brought before the UNSC and accepted, international sanctions could be re-imposed on Iran. Furthermore, the UNSC members may authorize military operations against Iran.

On February 14, the IAEA Director General Grossi reported that Iran is increasing the amount of uranium enriched to 60 percent by nearly seven times. In the coming weeks, Iran’s stock of 60 percent enriched uranium is expected to reach around 250 kilograms. Iran remains the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to this level, a development that has raised international concerns.

By the end of 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to pursue a strategic plan in the nuclear sector to counter the sanctions, leading to a suspension of additional steps and the Additional Protocol as per the nuclear agreement.

Consequently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) faced a reduction in monitoring capabilities by 20–30 percent.

Iran has officially affirmed that its strategy is not to pursue the development of an atomic bomb and that it does not support the production of weapons of mass destruction.