China & Russia Back Iran: Will Sanctions Return?

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October 8, 2025

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Russia and China are backing Iran against European threats of reinstating sanctions under UN Security Council Resolution 2231. The U.K., Germany, and France have warned they might take this step if nuclear talks with Iran fail by an upcoming deadline. Newsweek has contacted the European Commission and the US State Department for comments.

The so-called “snapback” clause of Resolution 2231 could once again place Iran under stringent sanctions for failing to comply with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 nuclear deal that President Donald Trump left in 2018. If China and Russia refuse to recognize this mechanism or block its enforcement, Western leverage over Iran would be severely weakened.

The resulting lack of sanctions could further diminish Europe’s influence, increase Tehran’s dependence on Moscow and Beijing, and raise the possibility of a military solution from the United States. Iran has already signaled it would consider any attempt to reinstate sanctions through the snapback mechanism as illegitimate.

Iran China Drill — This handout photo made available by the Iranian Army Office on March 12, 2025 shows navy vessels taking part in a joint Iranian-Russian-Chinese military drill in the Gulf of Oman. The navies of Iran, Russia…

Iranian Army Office / AFP/Getty Images

Key Points

Russia’s top envoy to Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said the EU powers were attempting to “blackmail” and “threaten” Iran via their August deadline. China echoed this opposition on Friday.

The backing has given Iran momentum to push back against Western pressure ahead of JCPOA’s expiration in mid-October. This week, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi met with Chinese and Russian diplomats to discuss joint measures against the E3’s destructive approach.

No progress was made at an Iran-E3 meeting in Istanbul in July, and the three powers told the UN this month that they are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism if Iran does not reach a diplomatic solution or seize the opportunity of an extension.

Iranian officials have said their economy could withstand further sanctions if talks fail. They claim the snapback mechanism would be illegal since all three countries believe Resolution 2231 should terminate at its designated time and legally cannot trigger it.

Next Steps

The EU has set August as the deadline to trigger the UN’s snapback mechanism if nuclear talks with Iran do not proceed positively.