Iran warns of withholding regional security commitments if UN sanctions are reimposed

A senior Iranian lawmaker warned on Monday that Iran could suspend its regional security commitments if European countries move to reimpose international sanctions by triggering the United Nations "snapback" mechanism.

Abbas Moqtadaei, a member of Iran's parliamentary national security commission, told semi-official Borna news agency that Tehran has “many tools” at its disposal, including the potential to halt cooperation in securing key waterways such as the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

"Europe is not in a position to endanger itself in the […] Hormuz Strait, when it is itself in political, economic and cultural conflicts with Russia, China and even the United States," Moqtadaei said in an interview with Iran's semi-official Borna news agency.

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Moqtadaei described the possible Iranian response if Britain, France, and Germany, the so-called E3, invoke the UN mechanism tied to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Its remarks came ahead of a scheduled meeting in Istanbul on Friday between Iranian deputy foreign ministers and diplomats from the E3, who have expressed frustration over Iran’s nuclear posture and threatened to reimpose sanctions by the end of August unless Iran returns to substantive nuclear negotiations.

In recent months, talks between Tehran and the E3 have stalled, while indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States have also been suspended following an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.

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Iran’s foreign ministry has also pushed back against the E3’s threats, with spokespersons warning of retaliatory actions should the snapback mechanism be triggered before it expires on October 18.

In a recent letter to the UN Secretary-General, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi argued that the E3 had forfeited their legal standing to invoke the mechanism due to their alignment with US and Israeli actions against Iran.

The E3, along with Russia and China, remain parties to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which lifted sanctions in exchange for nuclear limitations. The US unilaterally exited the deal in 2018 under former President Donald Trump.