China Denounces Iran Snapback Sanctions Plan as Not Constructive

“The Iran nuclear issue is at a critical juncture,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a daily press briefing in Beijing on Friday. “Initiating a snapback of sanctions in the Security Council is not constructive and will undermine the political and diplomatic process of resolving the Iranian nuclear issue.”

France, Germany and the UK on Thursday referred Iran to the United Nations to face the re-imposition of international sanctions after it failed to comply with demands to negotiate and allow nuclear inspectors to resume their work. China was a key participant in the Obama-era agreement that restricted Iran’s nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief, before Donald Trump’s withdrawal in 2018. 

Europe’s move has been opposed by China and Russia, who argue the effort itself is a violation of the 2015 accord and suggest that even if UN sanctions are reinstated, they may not be as widely observed as they were a decade ago. 

China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, will look to help the Iranian nuclear issue “return to the track of diplomatic resolution at an early date,” Guo said.

“China believes that any action by the Security Council should help promote the resumption of dialogue and negotiations, rather than creating new confrontation and leading to deterioration or even escalation of the situation,” he said.

With assistance from Qianwei Zhang.

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