Britain, France, and Germany trigger 'snapback' sanctions against Iran

Britain, France, and Germany notified the UN Security Council on Thursday to activate the snapback mechanism, reinstating UN sanctions on Iran lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal. The E3 cited Iran’s ongoing violations, including excessive uranium enrichment and blocking IAEA inspections.

The snapback process, starting immediately, will reimpose sanctions within 30 days, bypassing vetoes from Russia or China. The E3 urged Iran to resume nuclear talks and grant UN inspectors access to sites and 60% enriched uranium by August’s end, but a Geneva meeting Tuesday yielded no progress. “The Iranians haven’t put tangible detailed deliverables on the table,” a source said.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned on state television that snapback activation would prompt retaliation, including suspending IAEA cooperation. Iran also argued it’s illogical to punish them when the U.S. exited the deal and bombed them during prior talks.

The E3 remain open to diplomacy during the 30-day window before sanctions, aiming to conclude before Russia’s UN Security Council presidency in October. “The E3 leaders think that Iran has been for years in clear violation of its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal,” a European diplomat stated.