China Opposes Possible European Move to Trigger Snapback Mechanism

According to Rokna, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday formally announced Beijing’s opposition to the imposition of new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program — a move that, amid an imminent deadline set by European powers, represents significant diplomatic backing for Tehran.

This statement from Beijing directly contradicts warnings from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany that they would reimpose United Nations sanctions if a diplomatic solution to the nuclear deadlock is not found by the end of August.

According to Chinese state media, Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in an official declaration that his country is “opposed” to the imposition of sanctions. He further explained that Beijing “believes this will not help the parties build trust or resolve differences, and is not conducive to diplomatic efforts aimed at the early resumption of negotiations.”

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently stated that European countries have no legal standing to activate the “snapback” mechanism to reimpose United Nations sanctions.