SAEDNEWS: An attempt of the United Kingdom, France and Germany to return old sanctions of the UN Security Council against Iran appears like double-dealing and all their legal sanctions do not hold water, Maria Zakharova says.
The recent attempt by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to reinstate old UN Security Council sanctions on Iran has been criticized as double-dealing, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asserting that the European legal efforts “do not hold water.”
According to TASS, Zakharova referred to the snapback mechanism, a procedure designed to quickly reinstate previous UN sanctions against Iran. She described Europe’s actions as a “crafty piece of trickery,” bypassing the proper dispute resolution procedures outlined in Resolution 2231.
Zakharova explained that the mechanism requires claims to first go through the dispute resolution process, and only if that fails can the matter be referred to the UN Security Council. London, Paris, and Berlin, however, bypassed these steps and immediately submitted their request to the Council—a move she described as a violation of international law.
She noted that when certain restrictions on Iran expired on October 18, 2023, the Europeans introduced similar sanctions and, by submitting their letter on August 28, sought to enforce them before the 30-day period ended on September 27. According to Zakharova, the timing appeared aimed at pushing the decision through before the Russian presidency of the UN Security Council, but Russia and China opposed it.
Moscow and Beijing attempted on September 26 to preserve the legitimacy of Resolution 2231, buying time for diplomatic solutions and preventing unpredictable escalation. Zakharova stressed that Europe’s urgency reflects a desire for confrontation, as the European window of opportunity would close after October 18.
In her analysis, the Europeans violated two fundamental principles of international law: Pacta sunt servanda (agreements must be kept) and the Clean Hands Doctrine, exposing vulnerabilities in the global system of checks and balances.
This development highlights ongoing geopolitical tensions around Iran, offering observers a closer look at the complexities of international law, diplomacy, and the strategic interplay among global powers.
