Russian Foreign Minister Accuses Zarif Over ‘Snapback’ Mechanism
Rokna Political Desk: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed that the P5+1 negotiations were, in essence, direct talks between Iran and the United States, while other countries merely acted as observers.
According to Rokna, In an interview with Arab journalists, Lavrov dismissed assertions that Russia was responsible for introducing the “snapback” mechanism into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), asserting instead that Moscow had no such role.
“The P5+1 talks were essentially direct negotiations between Tehran and Washington, with other countries simply watching,” Lavrov stated, distancing Russia from the controversial clause that allows for the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran.
The Russian foreign minister added that the snapback provision was, from the beginning, “a complete trap,” expressing surprise that Iran had agreed to it. “It was a total ambush,” he said. “But when Mohammad Javad Zarif, representing Iran, accepted it, we also accepted the mechanism.”
Lavrov’s remarks have been widely interpreted as a direct accusation against former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, suggesting that Iran’s own negotiating team bore responsibility for accepting the clause that later became a major point of contention in the nuclear deal.
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