EU Says US Has No Right to Invoke ‘Snapback’ Mechanism against Iran


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The US has no right to force the reinstatement of international sanctions on Iran via the so-called “snapback” mechanism stipulated in the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, the spokesperson of the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

Given the fact that the US unilaterally abandoned the JCPOA in May 2018 and has not participated in any JCPOA structures or activities subsequently, the US cannot be considered as a JCPOA participant, the spokesperson said on Sunday, according to German news agency DPA.

"We therefore consider that the US is not in a position to resort to mechanisms reserved for JCPOA participants (such as the so-called snapback)," the official added.

The comments came after US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he intended to trigger the so-called snapback of the UN sanctions which had been in place against Iran prior to the nuclear deal’s inking.

“We’ll be doing a snapback,” he told reporters. “You’ll be watching it next week.”