​Germany: US not allowed to initiate snapback mechanism

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has once again reaffirmed commitment of the three European signatories to a 2015 nuclear agreement signed between Iran and major world powers, saying the United States has left the deal and has no right to reinstate the United Nations' sanctions against Tehran through a so-called snapback mechanism.

Maas made the remarks in an interview with the Arabic-language publication Al-Araby al-Jadeed, which was published on Sunday, when asked about opposition of Germany, France and Britain (also known as the E3) to the US announcement of the reactivation of international sanctions against Iran despite Washington's withdrawal from the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), some 2.5 years ago.

"Germany, France and the United Kingdom remain committed to preserving and fully implementing the JCPOA. The US left the agreement in 2018 and therefore no longer has a right to initiate the process called snapback," Mass said.

He added that the E3 pursues a "very clear" stance on the so-called snapback mechanism and believes that only the JCPOA participants may notify the UN Security Council of significant non-performance of commitments by Iran under the deal.

"We have taken note of the sanctions the US administration has re-imposed on Iran and we have expressed our regret in this regard. We also decided not to join its 'maximum pressure' campaign," the top German diplomat pointed out.

The United States has been trying to invoke the snapback mechanism in the multilateral nuclear agreement despite its withdrawal from the accord in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorses the JCPOA.

Since its much-criticized exit, Washington has been attempting to prevent the remaining signatories from abiding by their commitments and thus kill the historic agreement, which is widely viewed as a fruit of international diplomacy.

The United States’ most prominent Western allies have refused to fall into step with the push, which follows Washington’s humiliating defeat in securing an extension of the UN arms embargo against Iran at the UNSC last month.

The president of the Security Council on August 25 dismissed attempts by the US to reinstate all UN sanctions against Iran, citing a lack of consensus in the 15-member body.

In a statement released on September 20, the three European signatories to the JCPOA said a claim by the United States that it has restored Iran sanctions through the mechanism had no legal effect.

The foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom said Washington was not a participant to the JCPOA and thus its notification on snapback sanctions “is incapable of having legal effect.”

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on September 20 that the Islamic Republic will never give in to US bullying after the United States claimed it has restored all UN sanctions against Tehran through the so-called snapback mechanism.

Rouhani added that the US so-called maximum pressure on the Iranian nation in political and legal sectors has led to Washington's "maximum isolation."

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