TEHRAN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Iran has recalled its ambassadors to France, Britain and Germany, collectively known as the E3, following their launch of a mechanism to reinstate international sanctions on Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

In a statement, the ministry condemned E3's decision to trigger the "snapback" mechanism as "irresponsible," adding that the ambassadors were summoned to Tehran for consultations.

Last month, the E3 formally invoked the mechanism, which allows for the reimposition of UN sanctions within 30 days if Iran is deemed in breach of the 2015 nuclear deal.

On Sept. 19, the UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution that would have extended sanctions relief for Iran under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). A subsequent resolution, which sought to grant a six-month extension to both the JCPOA and Resolution 2231 that endorses the accord, also failed to pass in the UN Security Council on Friday. The rejection means that sanctions that were lifted under the deal will be re-imposed starting on Saturday evening.

The JCPOA, signed in July 2015 by Iran and six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States -- has been under strain since Washington's unilateral withdrawal in 2018, which prompted Tehran to gradually scale back its commitments. ■