Russia circulates proposal in UNSC to extend snapback deadline
Russia said on Tuesday that it had circulated an updated proposal in the UN Security Council aimed at pushing back the deadline for triggering snapback mechanism against Iran by six months until April 18 next year.
Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy, said that the "second version" of their proposal was designed to "give more breathing space for diplomacy," adding that he hoped it "will be acceptable."
“The choice of the international community should be in favor of peace and diplomacy, not in favor of war – and that is what our draft is about,” the Russian official added.
The European trio of the UK, France, and Germany – the United States allies in a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world countries – has long threatened to trigger the “snapback” of sanctions at the UN security council before October 18, when the nuclear deal expires.
Iran has repeatedly said that the European trio lacked all legal and moral authority to try to have the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) restore its sanctions on Iran.
In 2018, the United States left the agreement in an illegal and unilateral move that was followed by its returning its sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The European trio not only failed to live up to their promise of bringing back the US to the deal, but also followed in Washington’s footsteps by returning their own economic bans targeting the Islamic Republic.
Now, they are trying to trigger the mechanism, accusing the Islamic Republic of “diverting” its peaceful nuclear energy activities towards “military purposes,” despite the lack of all justifying evidence.
“Russia and China want to give more breathing space for diplomacy and provide some possibilities for an active quest for a diplomatic solution to this issue,” the Russian official said.
"It will be kind of a litmus test for those who really want to uphold diplomatic efforts, and for those who don't want any diplomatic solution, but just want to pursue their own nationalist, selfish agendas against Iran," he told media.
Russia’s proposal came after Iranian diplomats held talks with counterparts from Britain, France and Germany in Geneva on Tuesday.
The talks – the second round since the Israeli attacks --included discussion of European threats to trigger the reimposition of UN sanctions against Iran before they are permanently lifted in mid-October.
After the talks, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said it is time for the Europe and the UN Security Council to make the right choice and give diplomacy a chance.
During their previous meeting with Iran in July, the three European powers suggested extending the snapback deadline if Tehran resumed negotiations with the United States and cooperation with the IAEA.
Iran later dismissed the Europeans' right to extend the deadline, and said it was working with its allies China and Russia to prevent the reimposition of sanctions.