Iranian former FM threatens to exit nuclear treaties if Europeans reimpose sanctions

Iran’s former foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, says Iran’s parliament “has its finger on the trigger to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty” if three European countries follow through on their threat to impose sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

The threat, reported by Iran’s semi-official Defa Press, comes after Britain, France and Germany told the United Nations this week that they are ready to reimpose UN-mandated sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program if no diplomatic solution is found by the end of August, according to a joint letter obtained by AFP.

The foreign ministers from the so-called E3 group threatened to use a “snapback mechanism” that was part of the 2015 agreement curbing Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Under the deal, which terminates in October, any party to the accord can restore the sanctions.

Mottaki, a lawmaker who served as foreign minister from 2005 to 2010, says that if the E3 invoked the snapback mechanism, the country’s parliament would approve a bill to withdraw from the 2015 agreement within 24 hours.