Russia, China slam European nations over Iran ‘snapback’ sanctions move

An Iranian flag flutters in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr [File: Vahid Salemi/AP]

Russia and China have condemned a decision by Britain, Germany and France to launch a process that could reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.

The three European countries, known as the E3, launched the so-called “snapback mechanism” on Thursday over accusations that Iran has violated a 2015 deal that aimed to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapons capability in return for the lifting of international sanctions.