Europeans warn Iran of UN sanctions unless concrete progress on nuclear talks

On Thursday, France, Britain, and Germany urged Iran to promptly restart diplomatic talks regarding its nuclear program and cautioned that if no tangible actions were taken by the summer’s end, they would reinstate U.N. sanctions.

The foreign ministers of the E3, together with the EU’s foreign policy chief, conducted their initial call with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi following the air strikes by Israel and the United States in mid-June targeting Iran’s nuclear activities. After the call, a French diplomatic source indicated that the ministers urged Iran to promptly restart diplomatic initiatives to achieve a “verifiable and lasting” nuclear agreement.

The three nations, together with China and Russia, are the remaining signatories of a 2015 agreement with Iran that removed sanctions in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.

A resolution from the U.N. Security Council that codifies the agreement will lapse on October 18, and according to its provisions, U.N. sanctions may be reinstated earlier. The procedure would require approximately 30 days.

The Europeans have consistently cautioned that if a new nuclear agreement is not reached, they will activate the “snapback mechanism,” reinstating all prior U.N. sanctions on Iran should it be determined to be breaching the terms of the deal. Following the airstrikes, inspectors from the U.N. nuclear authority have departed from Iran. Although Iran has indicated a willingness for diplomacy, there is no sign that a sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran will restart soon.

Diplomats indicate that even if discussions were to restart, achieving a complete agreement before the end of August – the final deadline set by the Europeans – appears improbable, particularly without inspectors present to evaluate Iran’s remaining nuclear activities. Two European diplomats said they hoped to coordinate strategy with the United States in the coming days with a view to possibly holding talks with Iran soon.