Reuters - Russia rejected U.S. plans to restore U.N. sanctions on Iran as �nonexistent,� saying only a country that remains in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal can trigger the return of the sanctions in a process known informally as �snapback.�

�We will not take it as snapback,� Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters, rejecting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo�s expected announcement.

�He�s not triggering a snapback. Snapback can be triggered by a country that is a participant of the JCPOA, which the U.S. is not,� he said, referring to the Iran nuclear deal by its formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Reporting By Michelle Nichols; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Chris Reese