France, Germany and the United Kingdom, known as E3, said in a statement published on Friday that they do not support any unilateral attempt to trigger a snapback of United Nations sanctions against Iran.

The statement by the European side came after 26 out of 35 countries which are member to the IAEA Board of Governors voted for a resolution drafted by the three European countries against Iran.
  
“We firmly believe that any unilateral attempt to trigger UN sanctions snapback would have serious adverse consequences in the UNSC. We would not support such a decision which would be incompatible with our current efforts to preserve the JCPOA [the 2015 nuclear deal],” said the statement published by the UK Foreign Ministry website.

The three European countries noted that they remain committed to the JCPOA in order to preserve it.

The United States has stepped up calls for the extension of a UN arms embargo on Iran since April.

Under the UN Security Council’s 2231 resolution, which endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal, the arms embargo expires in October.

The U.S. President Donald Trump administration has threatened that it may seek to trigger a snapback of all sanctions on Iran if its attempts to extend the arms embargo fail.

NA/PA