Iran says it is open to diplomacy to prevent sanctions snapback

Britain, France and Germany urge Iran to meet three requirements so sanctions can be delayed

Iranian ambassador to the UN Amir-Saeid Iravani speaks to members of the media in New York. Reuters

Iran’s UN envoy has said his country is committed to diplomacy to prevent European countries reimposing sanctions over its nuclear programme, but warned that Tehran will not negotiate under “threats or coercion”.

Britain, France and Germany this week launched a 30-day process to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, saying Tehran has not stuck to a 2015 deal that lifted the restrictions.

The three European nations, known as the E3, on Friday offered to delay reinstating the sanctions but their requirements were “full of unrealistic preconditions,” UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters in New York.

Instead, Mr Iravani said, they should support “a short, unconditional technical extension of resolution 2231" which enshrined the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Earlier, ahead of closed consultations at the UN Security Council, the three European powers urged Iran to meet three requirements to delay sanctions.

“Our asks were fair and realistic,” said Barbara Woodward, Britain's ambassador to the UN. “However, as of today, Iran has shown no indication that it is serious about meeting them.”

The E3 on Thursday triggered the “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, after Tehran failed to meet their conditions for delaying the move.

Britain's Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Woodward. Reuters

They had offered to hold off for up to six months if Iran restored access for UN nuclear inspectors, addressed concerns about its stockpile of enriched uranium and engaged in talks with the United States.

The snapback process sets a 30-day countdown for the automatic reinstatement of UN sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, unless the Security Council votes to stop it.

Iran's allies, Russia and China introduced a draft resolution at the UN Security Council earlier this week to extend the 2015 nuclear accord for six months, while calling on all parties to return to the negotiating table without delay.

However they have not requested a vote yet on the measure but did remove language from their initial draft that would have barred Britain, France and Germany from reimposing UN sanctions on Tehran.

“While Iran was pursuing diplomacy, our safeguard, nuclear facilities were attacked. This aggression was supported by the US and justified by the E3. Still, Iran did not abandon diplomacy,” Mr Iravani stressed.

“Iran is committed to diplomacy, but it will not negotiate under threats or coercion. … Pressure tactics are designed to impose dictate, not to resolve issues, and Iran will never submit to them.”