European countries, including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, have sent a strong warning to Iran regarding its nuclear program, hinting at reimposing United Nations sanctions if diplomacy fails.
The letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council stated that the three nations are committed to using all diplomatic measures to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons beyond agreed limits.
The European powers threatened to activate the “snapback mechanism,” a part of the 2015 nuclear deal, which allows re-imposing UN sanctions if any party violates the agreement, set to expire in October.
The warning comes after Iran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following Israeli airstrikes in June that partially targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, with the U.S. supporting operations during the conflict.
The foreign ministers of the three countries emphasized that if Iran does not reach a diplomatic solution by the end of August 2025, they are ready to trigger the snapback mechanism to restore sanctions under the nuclear deal.
European nations reiterated their commitment to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), accusing Iran of violating terms, including increasing uranium stockpiles forty times above the allowed limit, while continuing diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously claimed that European nations had no legal right to reimpose sanctions, but the E3 insisted that they are fully authorized under the JCPOA provisions to use legal measures against Iran’s nuclear violations.