Pakistan, July 14 -- DUBAI - Iran has issued a warning that it will respond firmly to any reimposition of United Nations sanctions under the 2015 nuclear deal's "snapback mechanism." However, officials have not specified what actions Tehran might take in retaliation.

The warning comes after a French diplomatic source said European powers may consider restoring UN sanctions if a new nuclear deal is not reached to protect European security interests. This move would rely on the snapback provision, which allows for automatic reinstatement of sanctions if Iran is found non-compliant.

During a press conference on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei criticized the idea. He said, "The threat to use the snapback mechan...