Moscow: The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson has criticized recent efforts by the UK, France, and Germany to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran, deeming them legally invalid. Maria Zakharova, speaking on behalf of the Russian government, accused the European trio of double-dealing in their attempts to impose old sanctions, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Zakharova highlighted the misuse of the snapback mechanism, which enables the rapid reimposition of sanctions. She argued that the European countries bypassed the dispute resolution process mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, opting instead for shortcuts that omit critical procedural steps. The spokesperson stressed the importance of exhausting all avenues of the dispute resolution mechanism before involving the UN Security Council. She accused the European countries of repeatedly violating Resolution 2231 by imposing sanctions similar to those that had expired on October 18, 2023.

Zakharova noted that on August 28, the European countries formally addressed the UN Security Council, triggering a 30-day window to halt the process, which concluded on September 27. Despite this, the Security Council did not adopt any resolution to restore exemptions from sanctions against Iran.

She further mentioned that on September 26, Russia and China made a final diplomatic effort to uphold the legitimacy of Resolution 2231, aiming to find a peaceful resolution and avoid escalation. Zakharova warned that the actions of the Western states threaten the core principles of international law.