Qalibaf: Iran Will Counter EU Snapback Mechanism Soon

According to Rokna, speaking in today’s (Tuesday) open parliamentary session during his pre-agenda speech, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf congratulated the beginning of the Imamate of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) and prayed to God Almighty to expedite the advent of Imam Mahdi so that the world may be freed from the domination of injustice, oppression, and cruelty—a reality of which the Gaza genocide represents only a small glimpse.

He also congratulated the national youth volleyball team on winning the World Championship, noting: “With these hardworking and tireless young athletes who know no limits to success, the future of our beloved Iran will be bright.”

The Speaker of Parliament expressed condolences to the heroic people of Yemen for the assassination of the Prime Minister and several ministers of Yemen’s revolutionary government and condemned the terrorist and aggressive attack by the Zionist regime on Sana’a, offering his sympathies to the Yemeni nation.

“The Zionist Regime Will Sink in a Sea of Innocent Blood”

He added: “The criminal ruling band in the occupied territories mistakenly believes that committing further crimes will lead to liberation; however, mass killings and genocide have never absolved any criminal. It is certain that the genocidal and terrorist Zionist regime will eventually sink in a sea of the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocents who have been martyred, serving as a warning to its supporters.”

“Iran and China’s Development and Security Are Interlinked”

Continuing, Qalibaf stated: “Iran and China, two ancient Asian civilizations with deep and longstanding historical ties, possess unparalleled capacity to ensure lasting peace and security, shape regional order, promote a fairer world, and achieve multilateralism. As China’s President emphasized in his speech yesterday: ‘We must remain a force for stability in this unstable world. We must continue to dismantle walls, not build them. We must seek alliances, not divisions.’”

He continued: “The development and security of Iran and China are historically and geopolitically intertwined, and Tehran and Beijing are fully aware that a shared global destiny will form the foundation of the new international order.”

Qalibaf stressed: “The Parliament strongly believes that Iran-China cooperation at all agreed levels must move from words to action. The SCO summit is a historic opportunity to counter unilateralism and strengthen practical cooperation in security, economic, and infrastructure areas. Overcoming bureaucratic and legal obstacles to implementing the comprehensive strategic agreement and joint projects is our top priority. The Belt and Road Initiative serves as a driving framework for this cooperation.”

“Iran-China Cooperation Can Play a Decisive Role in Regional Peace and Stability”

He further stated: “We fully support the diligent efforts of the President, Dr. Poursina, at this summit to elevate the level of interactions between the two countries and with other member and observer states. We believe that cooperation between Iran and China, as two key SCO members, can play a decisive role in regional peace and stability.”

The Speaker also addressed the European trio’s move to activate the snapback mechanism, noting: “In recent days, the adversary’s media campaign to initiate the snapback mechanism has caused certain public concerns.”

“The Three European Countries Do Not Have the Right to Activate the Snapback Mechanism”

He added: “Officials of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly clarified the illegality of this procedure, and other UN Security Council members such as Russia and China have officially confirmed this. It is clear that the three European countries, due to their failure to fulfill JCPOA obligations, do not have the right to activate Paragraph 37 of the JCPOA, and therefore have illegally initiated the process of reinstating UN resolutions.”

“The Unified Decision of the Islamic Republic for Deterrence Against the Snapback Mechanism Will Be Implemented and Announced Soon”

The Speaker emphasized: “Iran must take a deterrent action against this illegal measure by the European parties to alter the adversary’s decision to activate the snapback mechanism. The unified decision of the Islamic Republic in this regard will be implemented and announced shortly.”

“UN Resolutions Are Not Mere Paper, but Will Have Limited Impact on Iran’s Economy”

Qalibaf added: “What is more important today is to clarify that, contrary to the severe media campaign by the adversary, UN sanction resolutions, although not mere paper, will not have a significant impact on Iran’s economy—provided that the psychological pressure created by the adversary is properly managed.”

He explained: “The first reason is that these economic sanctions relate specifically to Iran’s nuclear activities and are far less effective than the extensive general sanctions imposed by the United States. In other words, the reinstatement of UN resolutions does not constitute new economic sanctions that would add to the existing ones.”

“The United States Has Failed to Block Iran’s Oil Exports”

Qalibaf added: “The second reason is that, despite the OFAC pursuing maximum unilateral sanctions on behalf of the overreaching U.S. government, we have witnessed that the United States has failed to prevent Iran’s oil exports, and our foreign trade continues despite challenges and obstacles. In contrast, UN sanctions lack the scope, supervisory authority, and enforcement mechanisms that unilateral U.S. sanctions possess.”

The Speaker stated: “Some may argue that the reinstatement of sanctions resolutions against Iran provides a legal framework to make U.S. sanctions more effective. However, legally, these resolutions involve minor sanctions and do not include restrictions on Iran’s oil exports.”

He emphasized: “What leaves no doubt about the invalidity of the claim regarding creating a legal basis for U.S. sanctions is that Russia and China, as two UN Security Council members, have declared the snapback mechanism illegal, which deprives the European attempt of legitimacy and reduces the seriousness with which much of the international community would implement these sanctions.”

Qalibaf further stated: “The adversary, through media exaggeration, portrays the activation of the snapback mechanism as invoking Chapter VII of the UN Charter and as a prelude to war against Iran. This claim is baseless: first, the 12-day war demonstrated that the adversary does not require UN resolutions to initiate conflict; second, these resolutions make no reference to Article 42 of the UN Charter, which allows the use of force. For such action, a new resolution would be required, which would face vetoes from China and Russia.”

“Our Defensive Capability Is in a Deterrent Position”

He stated: “What is crucial for preventing an attack is not the snapback mechanism, but maintaining national unity and strengthening Iran’s military capabilities. Thanks to ongoing efforts, our defense capability is in a deterrent state. Hence, preserving national cohesion and ensuring public calm by all officials and political, social, and cultural actors is of great importance. One manifestation of this is clarifying the actual impact of the snapback mechanism’s activation.”

The Speaker concluded: “In this regard, all national officials, especially the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council, relevant ministries, analysts, and experts in international relations and economics, must precisely communicate the limited effect of the reinstated UN resolutions to society. This will prevent the adversary from constructing a misleading media narrative around the snapback mechanism and allow for effective management of its negative psychological impact.”