Iran was hit by so-called snapback sanctions on local Sunday during high tensions in the Middle East. But what does that mean?
The term will be used to re-challenge UN sanctions against Iran 10 years later, which was suspended as part of a landmark deal to limit and monitor the country’s controversial nuclear program.
France, Germany and the UK said they had “no option,” but caused a snapback and accused Iran of not meeting its obligations under the agreement. But the return could mean that Tehran will move further from international surveillance of its nuclear program.
The sanctions were scheduled to end forever on October 18th, but the original agreement known as the JCPOA saw the lifting of sanctions against Iran in exchange for restrictions on the nuclear program, allowing signatories to recover sanctions by that date if they find that Iran was unable to meet its commitments.
In August, European negotiators told the UN Security Council that Iran had violated “almost the entire JCPOA commitment,” and that Europe was preparing to spark a snapback mechanism. Before Russia had anticipated a security council presidency in October, it gave Iran a month’s warning in August as a way to drive the process.
Several meetings and calls were held this month between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut and other Iranian officials, but there was no progress in meeting the important demands of Europeans. Evidence that Iran is ready to find a diplomatic solution follows monitoring and inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and explains the province and scope of the kg holliched uranium of over 400 kg.
European countries also hope to resume Iran’s in-person talks with the United States.
Western countries and Israel have long accused Iran of trying to create nuclear weapons. Tehran claims that its nuclear program is peace.
There was an agreement this month between the IAEA and Iran that tests resumed, but European diplomats said it was too vague to be safe. Araghchi told Iranian state media that the IAEA will be restricted from access to nuclear sites and will be implemented under conditions set by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. He added that enriched uranium stockpiles remain inaccessible and could be buried under the tile ble of the nuclear facility.
Snapback sanctions began on Sunday.
The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the UK – the three European countries parties of the JCPOA – said in a statement after the snapback:
The minister criticized Tehran for “recurring” the JCPOA commitment, saying that “we can only induce snapback procedures,” but added that it “is not the end of diplomacy.”
On Saturday, Iran said it recalls envoys to Paris, Berlin and London. Araguchi also wrote to the UN Security Council calling snapbacks by the three countries “simply acute abuse of the process.”
Snapback restores UN sanctions introduced between 2006 and 2010, including an arms embargo and a ban on Iran to acquire the technology of ballistic missile programs. Iran’s oil and financial services sector was also targeted.
However, the European decision does not bind other signatories to the JCPOA, China, Russia or Iran’s historic allies.
The US withdrew from the JCPOA during its first term of office by President Donald Trump and chose a “maximum pressure” policy on Iran through a strict sanctions regime. So the snapback essentially sees Europe heading towards the US position.
Iran remains rebellious.
“Through the ‘snapback’, they block the path, but that’s the brain and the idea of opening and building a path,” said Iranian President Masuud Pezeshkian.
“Given the severity of US restrictions, the economic impact of UN and EU sanctions on Iran will be limited,” notes the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). “However, one practical impact of Iran’s snapback is that if future nuclear deals result in the lifting of UN sanctions, it is not clear whether the EU will continue to litigate.”
The ECFR adds: “Experienced in the pain of a military strike, it is not possible for Snapback to force Iran to accept the demand for US uranium zero enrichment.”
Iranian officials previously warned that if the snapback moves ahead, Tehran will end its participation in IAEA testing. Some Iranian officials have warned that a re-challenge of UN sanctions will lead Iran to quit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
However, Pezeshkian told a group of journalists and analysts that Iran is not planning to leave the NPT in response to the revival of UN sanctions, Reuters reported.
Iran’s program is unknown after a 12-day Israeli attack on Iran in June and a US airstrike on its major Fordau nuclear facility.
Trump said Fordow has been wiped out. Other assessments suggested that the nuclear facility was severely damaged, but Iran’s program could have returned to two years.
Aragut says much of Iran’s enriched uranium is buried under the tiles. It is also unknown that the state of Isfahan’s critical equipment will enrich uranium into weapon grade and convert it from gas to metal.
International inspectors have not been able to visit the site since the June dispute.
