Iran garners Russia & China aid in counterfeiting Western Challenges.

While, Europe has deliberately tried to catch Iran on the wrong foot over Iran’s uranium enrichment rights under the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which expires in October. Simultaneously, France, United Kingdom and Germany (the E3), supported by the U.S., have threatened to impose sanctions on Iran under the so-called snapback mechanism. In the process of pushing ahead its nuclear mission, Iran has now resorted to garner support from both Russia and China in mitigating the Western pressure to curb the enrichment mission, and a nuclear deal.

China and Russia are helping Iran to challenge the E3 in the United Nations Security Council over the group’s claimed right to enforce the snapback mechanism, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iran’s state TV IRIB. “If a snapback is implemented, it is certainly harmful, and we have no doubt we will try until the last moment to prevent it. We are consulting with our two allies for years over the JCPOA’s legal complexities”.

The E3, the U.S. and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) say Iran has exceeded uranium enrichment and stockpile limits and significantly reduced transparency on centrifuge use—actions they warn could advance its ability to build nuclear bombs. Iran’s tensions with the IAEA have deepened, and there are currently no monitoring inspectors in the country’s nuclear facilities. Iran acknowledges raising enrichment levels from 20% to 60% but insists its nuclear program is civilian oriented.

Trump unilaterally abandoned JCPOA in 2018, saying it had failed to sufficiently curb Iran. Tehran has doubled down on its nuclear ambitions despite attacks from the U.S. and Israel that damaged key sites in June, interrupting ongoing progress in nuclear talks. It has since sought to deepen security ties with Russia and China, which have rejected the bombings.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Media, “The Europeans now have until October 20 to trigger the snapback, but in our opinion, because of their positions, including their emphasis on zero enrichment, which is Iran’s right to enrich uranium, they are not entitled to discuss or implement any part of the JCPOA, including the snapback. There is a legal challenge between us and Europe, and China and Russia have the same stances as ours”.

France, the United Kingdom and Germany wrote in a letter to the United Nations on August 08^th. – “The E3 have offered Iran a limited extension of the relevant provisions of UNSCR 2231, in exchange for Iran resuming negotiations and addressing some of the international community’s most immediate concerns regarding the transparency and extent of its nuclear program. To date, the offer put forward by the E3 has remained unanswered by Iran. Despite unfounded claims to the contrary, the E3, as JCPOA participants, would be clearly and unambiguously legally justified in using relevant provisions of UNSCR 2231 (2015) to trigger U.N. snapback to reinstate UNSC resolutions against Iran which would prohibit enrichment and reimpose U.N. sanctions”.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in July during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: “China will continue to support Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty and dignity, resisting power politics and bullying, defending its legitimate rights and interests through political negotiation”. 

In his reply Araghchi said he had apprehended a possible E3’s snapback attempt at the U.N. Security Council by the end of August.

Team Maverick