Iran Warns Europe Against ‘Snapback’ Sanctions, Says Pressure Will Backfire
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said European states have no legal right to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism to restore UN sanctions, warning that any escalation of pressure on Tehran is a “mistake” that will force Iran into tough decisions.
Speaking in an interview with German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Khatibzadeh dismissed European threats to activate the mechanism included in the 2015 nuclear deal, saying such a move would strip Europe of its last leverage.
He said Europe had already lost credibility since the Trump administration came to power, noting that “they want to use the snapback card to appear relevant, but in reality they will only diminish themselves.”
Khatibzadeh stressed that Iran no longer sees Europe as a mediator, adding, “Exerting pressure on Iran is a mistake, because it will push us to make difficult choices.”
Asked about what those choices might be, he replied, “Many options are on the table.”
He confirmed that indirect messages had been exchanged with US envoy Steve Witkoff just hours before recent Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities. “This shows they were negotiating while simultaneously planning military operations,” he said, stressing that such actions eroded any trust in future talks.
The deputy minister underlined Iran’s conditions for negotiations: “Talks must be result-oriented, and hostility must stop during the process.”
On uranium enrichment, Khatibzadeh insisted that Iran would not accept being treated as an exception to international law. “If the US insists on zero enrichment, there will be strong resistance. But if they want guarantees that Iran will never build a nuclear weapon, many things can be discussed,” he said.
He emphasized that Iran’s enrichment rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are non-negotiable, though the level and scope of enrichment could be subject to discussion.
“If we return to talks, it will be an armed negotiation. All our fingers will be on the trigger, because we do not trust the other side, as we have sufficient reasons to be pessimistic about their intentions.” he warned.
Khatibzadeh also rejected comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who claimed Israel was carrying out “dirty work” for its allies inside Iran. “He does not speak for the proud German people,” Khatibzadeh said. “I am sure that when he sits alone in his office, he feels ashamed of standing by the genocidal Israeli regime and its blatant violation of international law.”
He added that no German would accept their chancellor describing the killing of innocent Iranians as “dirty work” done on his behalf.
The Iranian official said that Europe, instead of simply telling Tehran to talk to Washington, should provide concrete proposals to both sides as coordinators of the nuclear deal.
“We do not need the Europeans to tell us to go and talk to the US. Is this really the role they want to define for themselves? Instead, as coordinators of the JCPOA, they should present concrete proposals and solutions to Washington and Tehran. They cannot simply say ‘negotiate with the Americans,’ especially when the latter are not ready for genuine, result-oriented talks,” Khatibzadeh concluded.
