Trilateral meeting set between Iran, China and Russia ahead of E3 nuclear meetup

Iran will meet with China and Russia Tuesday to discuss its nuclear program and potential snapback sanctions, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday in a briefing.

The meeting will come ahead of a meeting in Istanbul between Iran and France, Germany and the United Kingdom, or the E3 nations, on Friday. The E3 nations, China and Russia are the remaining nations involved in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal that lifted sanctions on Iran in return for restrictions on its nuclear program.

The U.S. was involved in the deal until 2018, when President Donald Trump pulled out of it in his first term to reimpose some sanctions on Iran. However, the deal has what’s called a snapback mechanism, meaning the parties involved can reissue sanctions if Tehran does not comply with the deal. 

The E3 countries have warned such sanctions could happen if no progress on nuclear talks happens by the end of August. Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, said in Monday’s briefing that Tehran is coordinating with Beijing and Moscow on preventing snapback sanctions, according to Iranian state news.

Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said in a letter to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres Sunday that not only do the E3 nations have a “lack of legal standing” to invoke the snapback sanctions due to claims of breaches by the E3 of the JCPOA, but Tehran has “no plan” for resumed talks with the U.S. “under the current situation.”