The United Kingdom, France, and Germany officially initiated a 30-day process on Thursday (August 28) to prepare for the restoration of United Nations sanctions against Iran. This move comes two months after Israel and the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, potentially escalating tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
In a letter to the United Nations Security Council, the UK, France, and Germany accused Iran of violating the restrictions on uranium enrichment activities laid out in the 2015 nuclear agreement and failing to show willingness to sign a new agreement. Therefore, they decided to activate the “snapback mechanism” under Security Council Resolution 2231 to restore UN sanctions against Iran.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasized that this decision “does not mean the end of diplomacy.” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged Iran to “fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency” and committed to engaging in direct talks with the United States in the coming month.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently released a statement expressing support for the actions of the European trio (E3). He noted that the E3 had clearly identified Iran’s ongoing “serious non-compliance” with nuclear commitments, providing a strong basis for activating the snapback mechanism.
Rubio stated that since 2019, the E3 could have initiated the snapback mechanism at any time but chose to engage in extensive diplomatic contacts first, providing Iran with a diplomatic path to resolution.
Rubio said in the statement, “The United States appreciates the leadership role of E3 allies in this action. We will work with them and other UN Security Council members in the coming weeks to successfully and swiftly restore international sanctions and restrictions on Iran.”
“The United States remains prepared to engage with Iran directly at any time,” Rubio emphasized, stating that the “snapback mechanism” does not contradict their sincere diplomatic intentions but rather reinforces them.
Rubio urged Iranian leaders to “take immediate necessary steps to ensure never obtaining nuclear weapons, to choose the path of peace, and to promote the prosperity of the Iranian people.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described the decision as “inevitable” and termed it as “an important step in the diplomatic battle against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”
Meanwhile, as Iran’s strategic allies, China and Russia, have also been pushing for another proposal at the Security Council to extend the 2015 nuclear agreement by six months and urging all parties to resume negotiations immediately, but no vote has been proposed yet.
Iran swiftly responded to the decision from the European trio. A senior official criticized the decision as “illegal and regrettable,” stating that it was a blow to diplomacy rather than an opportunity. The official indicated that Tehran is still open to diplomatic contacts but emphasized that “Iran will not yield to pressure.”
Just hours after Europe announced the activation of the snapback mechanism, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote to EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas, reiterating Iran’s readiness to restart fair and balanced diplomatic negotiations, provided that the West demonstrates goodwill and sincerity and avoids actions that could jeopardize negotiation success.
Prior to this, Iran had repeatedly warned that if sanctions were reinstated, they would make a “severe response,” and even consider withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
On Wednesday, the independent research institute Institute for Science and International Security pointed out that Iran is swiftly clearing a nuclear facility in northern Tehran that was bombed by Israel. The facility, known as the Mojdeh site or Lavisan II, was linked to Iran’s early AMAD Plan believed to be associated with nuclear weapons development.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi also warned that Iran has a legal obligation to allow verification to resume and called for inspections of key nuclear facilities including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, as well as an inventory of Iran’s stockpile of over 400 kilograms of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium.