If the snapback mechanism takes effect, all UN sanctions previously imposed on Iran over its nuclear program will be reinstated, including an arms embargo, a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing, restrictions on ballistic missile development, global asset freezes, travel bans, and authorization for countries to inspect shipments by Iranian state-owned aviation and shipping companies for prohibited items.

TEHRAN, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Britain, France and Germany on Thursday notified the United Nations (UN) Security Council that they had triggered the "snapback" mechanism under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, raising the possibility of reinstating UN sanctions on Iran in 30 days.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi condemned the move, calling it "unlawful and unwarranted" and warning of an "appropriate" response to safeguard Iran's rights and national interests.

What is the snapback mechanism? Why is it being triggered at this moment? What could come next?

WHAT IS SNAPBACK MECHANISM?

On July 14, 2015, Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States -- plus Germany, finalized an agreement in Vienna. The deal lifted international sanctions on Iran in exchange for strict limits on its nuclear program, which Tehran has long insisted serves peaceful purposes only, denying the West's accusation of developing nuclear weapons.

On July 20, 2015, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2231, endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, which contained a provision known as the "snapback" mechanism, allowing any signatory to seek the reinstatement of UN sanctions should Iran show "significant non-performance."

Under the mechanism, once a signatory notifies the UN Security Council, it initiates a 30-day deadline for reimposing UN sanctions without being vetoed by UN Security Council members unless the Security Council passes a resolution to block it.

Under the UN Charter, a resolution requires the support of at least nine of the 15 UN Security Council members and no veto from any of the permanent members.

Analysts said such a new resolution is unlikely as the United States, Britain and France, as permanent members, could veto it. Yet if the West and Iran reach an agreement within the 30-day window, a resolution could be introduced to push back the mechanism's Oct. 18 deadline.

WHY NOW?

The three European countries of France, Britain and Germany, collectively known as the E3, have argued that their decision to trigger the snapback mechanism was based on "clear factual evidence" of Iran's non-performance of its JCPOA commitment, including its rollback of monitoring measures by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The denied IAEA access came after Israel launched major airstrikes in June on Iran, including nuclear sites, during which the United States bombed Iran's nuclear facilities under the supervision of the IAEA.

Iran and the E3 had held several rounds of talks since the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which derailed indirect nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington starting in April. Yet the E3 required Iran to resume talks with the United States and grant access to IAEA inspectors in exchange for a delay of the snapback, which Tehran deemed as "full of unrealistic preconditions."

Washington has repeatedly demanded zero Iranian enrichment of uranium, calling its demand non-negotiable. Tehran firmly rejected the request, noting that U.S. participation in Israel's attack against Iran has eroded Tehran's trust in Washington to "below zero."

If the snapback mechanism takes effect, all UN sanctions previously imposed on Iran over its nuclear program will be reinstated, including an arms embargo, a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing, restrictions on ballistic missile development, global asset freezes, travel bans, and authorization for countries to inspect shipments by Iranian state-owned aviation and shipping companies for prohibited items.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

The E3 said the initiation of the snapback mechanism, a move the United States has welcomed, can serve to spur negotiations with Tehran.

"This measure does not signal the end of diplomacy: We are determined to make the most of the 30-day period that is now opening to engage in dialogue with Iran," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on the social platform X.

Yet Iran argued that the European powers "do not have the legal and moral" basis to trigger a snapback, contending these countries have forfeited participant status in the JCPOA through "flagrant violations" of their own commitments. It also accused the Europeans of backing the United States and Israel in their latest strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Meanwhile, Tehran justified its phased reduction of its nuclear commitments, actions it said would be "reversible," as Washington withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its own sanctions on Iran.

Shortly after beginning his second term as the U.S. president in January this year, Donald Trump restored "maximum pressure" on Iran and threatened military action to push Iran into nuclear negotiations.

Iran has threatened to consider withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) if a snapback is triggered. By ratifying the NPT in 1970, Tehran committed to not developing nuclear weapons.

Leaving the NPT would terminate the IAEA's oversight of Iran's nuclear program, Iranian state media Press TV noted. Should the situation escalate to that point, the United States would face considerable pressure, including from Israel, and might once again cooperate with Israel to strike Iran, plunging the region into turmoil, it warned. It cautioned that such an outcome would be against the interests of all parties, including Europe.

China and Russia, two of the five UN Security Council permanent members, also accused the European trio of undermining diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution, fearing a possible escalation of regional tensions.

"The Iranian nuclear issue is at a crucial crossroads. Initiating the snapback process at the Security Council is not a constructive move, which will disrupt the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.

Russia on Friday also warned that the reimposition of sanctions against Iran risked "irreparable consequences," saying such attempts were a "serious destabilizing factor" that undermined the search for a negotiated solution.