Europe Warns Iran: Resume Nuclear Talks or Face UN Sanctions

 

France, Britain, and Germany collectively known as the E3 have issued a stern warning to Iran: resume nuclear negotiations immediately and show concrete results by the end of August or face the return of United Nations sanctions. During a joint call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the E3 and the EU's foreign policy chief urged Iran to work toward a “verifiable and lasting” agreement. They threatened to trigger the UN ‘snapback’ mechanism, a process that would reinstate previous international sanctions on Iran for breaching the 2015 nuclear deal.

The warning comes amid heightened tensions following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago. Since then, international nuclear inspectors from the IAEA have left Iran, making it harder to monitor compliance. European diplomats insist they will coordinate with Washington in the coming days to prepare a unified strategy. The deadline to make progress is the end of August, though observers say that timeline is ambitious given the lack of trust and current impasse in diplomacy. The snapback process could take about 30 days and would bypass the need for a new vote in the UN Security Council.

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Iran quickly pushed back on the European threat. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused the U.S. of being the one that abandoned the negotiation table in June, choosing military escalation over diplomacy. He criticized the E3 for using threats and pressure, claiming that the snapback mechanism lacks any moral or legal foundation since it was the U.S. that violated the agreement first by withdrawing in 2018.

Araqchi stated that Iran remains open to talks but only under fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial terms. Tehran has indicated its willingness to return to diplomacy, but insists that the blame for the deadlock lies with the West. Meanwhile, the absence of IAEA inspectors on Iranian soil is complicating the situation, making verification of Iran’s nuclear activities nearly impossible.

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With the October 18 expiration of the UN resolution that enshrined the 2015 nuclear deal looming, the urgency to resolve the situation is growing. European officials hope to restart discussions with Washington to create a clearer diplomatic path forward. However, insiders say the prospect of a new comprehensive agreement before the end of summer is unlikely without major diplomatic breakthroughs.