The issue of sanctions reimposed on Iran continues to raise many questions, especially after the European Troika countries (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) announced their readiness to “revive” negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi affirmed that Tehran has never sought to possess nuclear weapons, stating that Israel convinced US President Donald Trump to launch an attack on Iran.

Araghchi said, “At the start of the fifth round of talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff on May 23, I wrote: zero nuclear weapons means we have an agreement; zero enrichment means we do not have an agreement.”

He added, “If the US President looked at the minutes of those talks recorded by the mediator, he would see how close we were to celebrating a new and historic nuclear agreement.”

The three countries had previously announced they would continue to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis, while Tehran confirmed earlier this week that it is not currently willing to resume negotiations.

In a joint statement, the three countries said: “We are determined to revive negotiations with Iran and the United States to reach a comprehensive, lasting, and verifiable agreement that ensures Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.”

The statement added: “We see the activation of the sanctions snapback mechanism as justified,” considering that “Iran’s nuclear program poses a serious threat to international peace and security.”

The United Nations reimposed its sanctions on Iran on September 28, after ten years of lifting them, following failed negotiations with Western countries. These sanctions include an arms embargo and additional economic measures.

US sanctions on Iranian oil exports dealt a blow to the Chinese refining giant Sinopec by targeting a facility that processes one-fifth of the company’s crude oil imports.

These sanctions come ahead of planned talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month, reflecting Washington’s efforts to restrict Iranian oil trade with its largest customers.

Richau Shihua Crude Oil Terminal, which owns 50% of the logistics unit in Sinopec, was among the entities listed on the US Treasury Department’s sanctions list, which also includes ships transporting liquefied petroleum gas and an independent Chinese refinery.

In 2015, Iran reached an agreement with France, Britain, Germany, the United States, Russia, and China after years of negotiations, which limited its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

However, in 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first term, the US withdrew from the agreement and reimposed its sanctions on Tehran. Iran responded by gradually reducing its commitments, including expanding uranium enrichment operations, prompting the European Troika to activate the sanctions snapback mechanism.

In September, the sanctions snapback mechanism came into effect after the expiration of the so-called “trigger mechanism” or “snapback” deadline granted to Iran at the end of last month.

An Iranian legislator from the conservative faction said the sanctions snapback mechanism is the West’s last bullet; once they pull the trigger, they will have nothing left.

He added, “The stick they held over our heads will disappear once used. They will have no influence anymore.”

Similarly, a diplomat from the European Troika said Iran’s cooperation with the atomic agency is already limited and could shrink further, but he does not believe Iran will take a step such as withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

He added that he does not think China or Russia will accept Iran rushing to acquire a nuclear bomb, and if they did, Israel would not accept it either.