HAMILTON, Canada

Iran's UN envoy on Friday strongly rejected the move by France, Germany, and the UK (the E3) to trigger the snapback process at the UN Security Council, calling it an "unlawful" attempt to exert pressure.

"Iran categorically rejects and condemns the unlawful notification by France, Germany and the United Kingdom. This action side steps the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) dispute resolution mechanism. It is an illegal attempt to bring back a terminated resolution," Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's envoy to the UN, told reporters after a closed Security Council meeting in New York.

Arguing that the E3, along with the US, violated the nuclear deal first, he said: "They cannot now claim to act in good faith."

He added that Iran has consistently informed the Security Council, the UN chief, and the EU coordinator about "the repeated failures and significant non-compliance" by Western parties.

"Yesterday, the foreign ministers of three European countries submitted a letter to the Security Council invoking the so-called snapback notification process, with the sole intention of blackmailing Iran and exerting political pressure," Iravani said.

Iran, he stressed, "is committed to diplomacy, but it will not negotiate under threats or coercion. Pressure tactics are designed to impose, dictate, not to resolve issues, and Iran will never submit to them."

He warned that if unchecked, "the E3's path will gravely damage the credibility and integrity of the Security Council and place international peace and security at serious risk."

Prior to the closed session of the council, the UK, speaking on behalf of the E3, said that their extension offer to Iran on snapback measures "remains on the table," while urging Tehran to address international concerns over its nuclear program.

The E3 group of countries on Thursday triggered the mechanism for reinstating UN sanctions in their dispute with Iran over its nuclear program.

The European countries have urged Iran to resume negotiations with the US on its nuclear program and allow international inspectors to monitor sites and stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.

The US left the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 and re-imposed its own sanctions on Iran.

Earlier this year, it entered indirect nuclear talks with Iran, but Israel attacked Iran in June, and a sixth round of discussion in Oman was cancelled.

The 12-day war saw the US bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.

The US has maintained that Iran must give up its nuclear program, but Tehran argues its program is only for civilian purposes.