China and Russia Join Iran in Rejecting European Move to Reinstate Sanctions on Tehran

China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, on Monday backed Iran in rejecting a European push to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Tehran that had been eased more than a decade ago under a nuclear agreement.

In a joint letter signed by the foreign ministers of China, Russia, and Iran, the three nations said the decision by Britain, France, and Germany to trigger the so-called “snapback mechanism” was “legally and procedurally flawed.”

Alongside the E3 — Britain, France, and Germany — China and Russia were also signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers. The agreement aimed to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions. However, in 2018, then U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the pact.

Last week, the European powers invoked the snapback clause, accusing Iran of breaching the accord. The mechanism allows for the automatic reimposition of UN sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 deal.

The letter, shared on X by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, denounced the European step as “an abuse of the UN Security Council’s authority and functions.”

Iran has long exceeded the uranium enrichment limits set under the agreement, arguing that its actions are justified after the U.S. withdrawal. The accord itself is set to expire in October this year, raising further uncertainty over the diplomatic path ahead.

Talks were held in Geneva earlier this month between Iran and the E3 with the aim of negotiating a new deal, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in mid-June. However, the E3 concluded that Tehran showed insufficient willingness to move toward a fresh agreement.

“The joint letter signed in Tianjin with my colleagues, the foreign ministers of China and Russia, reflects our firm stance that Europe’s attempt to activate the snapback is legally baseless and politically destructive,” Araghchi wrote on X.