France, Britain, and Germany on Thursday, August 28th, activated a mechanism to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran, citing Tehran’s failure to comply with commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. The move, known as the ‘snapback’ mechanism, begins a 30-day countdown for reinstating sanctions that had been suspended a decade ago.
“This decision by the three European countries will seriously undermine the ongoing process of interaction and cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement, calling the move a “provocative and unnecessary escalation.”
The three European powers notified the UN Security Council that they “believe Iran to be in significant non-performance of its commitments” under the 2015 accord, according to a letter seen by AFP. In a joint statement, British Foreign Minister David Lammy, Germany’s Johann Wadephul, and French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot described Iran’s non-compliance as “clear and deliberate,” noting that its high-enriched uranium stockpile “is unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons program” and poses “a clear threat to international peace and security.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his French, British, and German counterparts in a phone call that Tehran would respond “appropriately to this illegal and unjustified action … in order to protect and guarantee its national rights and interests.” He did not specify what measures Iran might take but warned that cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog could be affected.
The United States welcomed the European move while underscoring its willingness for direct diplomatic engagement with Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. “remains available for direct engagement with Iran—in furtherance of a peaceful, enduring resolution to the Iran nuclear issue,” adding that the snapback “does not contradict our earnest readiness for diplomacy, it only enhances it.” Israel also hailed the action, with UN Ambassador Danny Danon calling it “an important step on the way to stopping the Iranian nuclear program and increasing pressure on the regime in Tehran.”
The snapback comes as the October 18th deadline for triggering the mechanism approaches and just over two months after Israel and the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear and ballistic infrastructure. Analysts note the strikes caused damage but did not eliminate Tehran’s atomic program, with much of its enriched uranium still unaccounted for.
Russia, meanwhile, strongly opposed the European action. “This move by European countries, in our view, has absolutely no legal bearing,” Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told journalists Thursday.
The United Nations on Thursday called on Iran and major powers to seize the momentum to strike a nuclear deal before the reimposition of UN sanctions triggered by Europe. “In the next 30 days, there is a window of opportunity to avoid any further escalation and find a way forward that serves peace,” said Robert Dujarric, the spokesman for Secretary-General António Guterres.
