France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, collectively known as the E3 group, sent a letter to the United Nations on August 12th (Tuesday) announcing their readiness to activate the “snapback” mechanism in the 2015 nuclear agreement to reimpose sanctions on Iran, in order to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Nöel Barrot, published this letter on a public platform on Wednesday, August 13th. The letter was co-signed by senior diplomats from Germany and the UK.
In the letter, the E3 foreign ministers warned that if Iran does not reach a diplomatic solution by the end of August 2025 or fails to seize the opportunity for further negotiations, the “snapback” mechanism would be triggered.
This warning comes after discussions between E3 officials and Iranian representatives at the Iranian consulate in Istanbul last month. The talks explored the possibility of reinstating international sanctions that were lifted in 2015 when Iran agreed to nuclear program restrictions and monitoring in exchange for sanctions relief.
In June of this year, Israel launched a 12-day military operation against Iran to halt its nuclear program. The United States subsequently intervened with devastating airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities.
Following the attacks, Iran suspended its contacts with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iran’s stockpile of uranium has exceeded the limits set by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In a report earlier this year, the International Atomic Energy Agency stated that Iran had developed approximately 605 pounds of uranium enriched to 60%, just a step away from the 90% enrichment needed to produce a nuclear weapon.
A spokesperson for the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Josef Hinterseher, urged Iran on Wednesday to return to diplomatic negotiations and fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The International Atomic Energy Agency visited Iran on Monday but did not inspect nuclear facilities, and formal cooperation has not been restored. According to an unnamed diplomat cited by the Associated Press, if Iran resumes cooperation with the IAEA and resolves the issue of its high enriched uranium stockpile, sanctions may be delayed.