According to Khabaronline, an Iranian news agency, On Tuesday (local time), Amir Saeid Iravani, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the UN; Vasily Nebenzia, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation; and Fu Cong, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China, stated in their joint letter:
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, the People’s Republic of China, and the Russian Federation remain fully committed to constructive diplomatic engagement with all Council members. We hereby reaffirm our readiness to support collective efforts aimed at safeguarding the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.”
The ambassadors stressed that all relevant parties must remain committed to pursuing a political solution that addresses the concerns of all sides through diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on the principles of mutual respect, refrain from unilateral sanctions, threats of force, or any action that may aggravate the situation, and ensure that all countries contribute to creating a conducive atmosphere and necessary conditions for diplomatic efforts.
The full text of the ambassadors’ letter is as follows:
We would like to recall, in response to the joint letter dated 20 November 2025 from the Permanent Representatives of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (“the E3”), the joint communication issued on 2 September 2025 by the Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the People’s Republic of China, and the Russian Federation, which explicitly outlined our positions regarding the so-called “snapback” mechanism:
“… At the inception of the JCPOA, when the ‘snapback’ mechanism was created, it was hardly conceivable that the United States would be the first party to violate its commitments. The unilateral decision of the United States to withdraw from the JCPOA in May 2018 and undermine the resolution fundamentally affected the modalities of triggering the ‘snapback’ mechanism. Without prior and adequate resolution of the United States’ substantial non-performance, this mechanism cannot be applied to Iran.
Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have not only aligned themselves with the United States’ illegal and discriminatory sanctions against Iran but have also imposed their own restrictive measures, including on the eve of the ‘Transition Day’ on 18 October 2023, despite their obligations under the JCPOA and UNSC Resolution 2231. It must be recalled that a key principle of international law, affirmed by the International Court of Justice, states that: ‘A party that denies or fails to perform its own obligations cannot invoke rights arising from that relationship.’
Iran’s remedial measures, including the suspension of JCPOA commitments, were adopted solely in reaction to the U.S. withdrawal and its comprehensive violations, and only after a prolonged period of Iran’s continued compliance and the inaction of the E3 and the EU to rectify the situation. Iran’s reciprocal steps cannot constitute a basis for triggering the ‘snapback’ mechanism. It is unacceptable to misuse this mechanism in a way that renders the U.S. withdrawal and the subsequent failure of the E3 and the EU to fulfill their commitments—including those reiterated in the Joint Commission’s statement of 25 May 2018—irrelevant.”
Resolution 2231 is an integrated text, and the JCPOA is an inseparable part of it. Therefore, paragraph 11 of the resolution cannot be interpreted independently of paragraphs 36 and 37 of the JCPOA. In reality, the E3 are not entitled to invoke operative paragraph 11 prior to fulfilling the requirements of paragraph 36 of the JCPOA, nor may they notify the Security Council of the commencement of the snapback process regarding what they claim to be “significant non-performance” by Iran.
The E3’s claims that they have followed the procedures outlined in paragraph 36 are incorrect. In fact, the Joint Commission did not convene to consider the E3 letter dated 14 January 2020.
The dispute resolution mechanism was not activated due to procedural gaps that made subsequent consideration at ministerial level or by the advisory board impossible. As the requirements of paragraphs 36 and 37 were not met, the letter from the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom cannot be regarded as a notification by a JCPOA participant under paragraph 11 of Resolution 2231 to initiate the snapback process.
Accordingly, it is again emphasized that the E3’s attempt to trigger what they call “snapback” is legally and procedurally flawed, and the claims put forward by Germany, France, and the United Kingdom in the referenced letter are baseless and irrelevant.
With the above considerations in mind, it is once more underscored that, in accordance with operative paragraph 8 of Resolution 2231, all its provisions expired on 18 October 2025. It is further reiterated that the full and timely termination of Resolution 2231 marks the conclusion of the Security Council’s consideration of Iran’s nuclear issue and contributes to strengthening the Council’s authority and the credibility of multilateral diplomacy.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, the People’s Republic of China, and the Russian Federation remain fully committed to constructive diplomatic engagement with all Council members. We hereby reaffirm our readiness to support collective efforts to preserve the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program. We also stress that all relevant parties must remain committed to finding a political solution that addresses the concerns of all sides through dialogue based on mutual respect, refrain from unilateral sanctions, threats of force, or any action that could escalate the situation, and ensure that all states contribute to creating a favorable environment and necessary conditions for diplomatic efforts.
We would appreciate it if the present communication were circulated as a document of the Security Council. Please accept the renewed assurances of our highest consideration.
Amir Saeid Iravani – Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
Vasily Nebenzia – Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations
Fu Cong – Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations
On Monday (local time), Samuel Žbogar, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations, whose country assumed the presidency of the 15-member Security Council in the final month of 2025, told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York that the Council would receive the Secretary-General’s report on Resolution 2231 concerning Iran on 13 December.
UNSC Resolution 2231 on the JCPOA expired on 18 October 2025. While Iran, Russia, and China interpret this as a formal end to the Iranian nuclear file at the Security Council, the three European countries and the United States, relying on their own interpretation of the JCPOA provisions, claim that UN sanctions have been reinstated following the Council vote on triggering the snapback mechanism.