MOSCOW

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday condemned an attempt by Britain, Germany, and France to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran.

On Thursday, the three countries triggered a mechanism to restore the sanctions, accusing Tehran of violating the 2015 nuclear pact, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Moscow called their attempt to use the snapback mechanism, which allows sanctions to be reimposed quickly if Iran is found in violation of the deal, an “impudent attempt” to manipulate the relevant UN resolution.

The ministry added that the European states had no authority to bring the issue to the UN Security Council without first completing the dispute-resolution process.

"Their claim that all necessary steps have already been taken does not correspond to reality,” it said.

The ministry argued that Britain, Germany, and France had violated the resolution not only by abiding by Washington’s unilateral sanctions against Tehran but also by introducing their own.

"As usual, they do not acknowledge any fault of their own, placing full responsibility for the actual collapse of the nuclear deal on Tehran," it said.

According to Moscow, Iran diligently implemented the agreement for years, even after the US unilaterally withdrew from the pact. It said Tehran resolved all outstanding issues that led to the deal, a process confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“The failure to implement the JCPOA due to American and European faults cannot serve as justification for imposing demands based on previously canceled sanctions, especially since those requirements have long lost relevance," said the Foreign Ministry.

It urged the Western countries “to come to their senses” and reverse their decisions before they lead to “irreversible consequences and another tragedy.”

"We firmly believe that their confrontational line vis-a-vis Tehran holds no future prospects," the ministry noted.

The ministry emphasized that resuming dialogue among involved parties remains the top priority and called for collective efforts to prevent a new crisis.