Tehran - BORNA - Ambassador Reza Zabib wrote on X on Saturday: “The JCPOA was the greatest achievement of Europe’s fragile foreign policy, secured through cooperation with Iran. In the lose-lose equation of snapback, Europe will lose the field of maneuver for diplomacy and partnership with Iran. The cost of this game will be borne by Europe, while its profits go to others.”
He added: “History has recorded this misstep, and Iranians will not forget it.”
The ambassador’s warning comes as Germany, France, and the UK prepare to trigger the snapback mechanism at the UN Security Council. The move follows their failure to secure passage of a resolution extending the suspension of sanctions against Iran. If activated, the snapback would automatically reinstate UN sanctions on Tehran within days, rolling back years of negotiations.
Analysts note that Europe’s alignment with Washington on this issue represents both haste and weakness. As Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed, Tehran recently reached a detailed agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), known as the Cairo understandings, on safeguards and inspection procedures. From Tehran’s perspective, Europe’s insistence on sanctions despite such cooperation reveals a lack of seriousness in diplomacy and a willingness to cede initiative to the United States.
The JCPOA (2015 nuclear deal) is widely considered the most significant diplomatic success of European foreign policy in the 21st century. By moving toward snapback, Europe risks dismantling the very framework it once championed and validated on the global stage. Critics argue this does not strengthen Europe’s role in international diplomacy but instead demonstrates its subordination to Washington’s strategy of pressure.
As the Iranian diplomat underlined, this “lose-lose equation” deprives Europe of both trust and maneuverability with Iran, while the strategic benefits will be harvested elsewhere — by actors intent on keeping the Middle East destabilized and by U.S. political figures who seek to weaponize Iran policy in domestic politics.
Tehran continues to assert that it has acted responsibly, cooperating with the IAEA and fulfilling its safeguard commitments under difficult circumstances. Iranian officials emphasize that if diplomacy is blocked, responsibility will rest squarely with those who abandoned constructive engagement in favor of coercion.
The message from Tehran is clear: Europe still has the opportunity to avoid compounding the crisis, but doing so requires independence from Washington’s pressure and a renewed commitment to dialogue. Otherwise, as Ambassador Zabib warned, history will record Europe’s misstep — and Iran will not forget.
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