France, Britain, and Germany have triggered the UN snapback mechanism to reimpose sanctions on Iran over alleged violations of its nuclear commitments, a decision that has sparked strong warnings from Tehran.
The three European powers announced on Thursday, August 28, that they had formally notified the UN Security Council, accusing Iran of “significant non-performance” under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The move sets off a 30-day countdown for the return of UN sanctions lifted a decade ago under the nuclear deal.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, condemned the step as “illegal and unjustified,” warning that the Islamic Republic would “respond appropriately to protect its national rights and interests.”
Tehran said the European action would undermine cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Iranian foreign ministry described the decision as a “provocative escalation” that jeopardises dialogue.
Although IAEA inspectors gained limited access to the Bushehr nuclear facility earlier this month, Iran insists it has not fully resumed cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
The United States welcomed the decision. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remains open to “direct engagement” with Iran, stressing that the snapback mechanism strengthens rather than undermines diplomacy.
Israel also hailed the development. Its UN ambassador, Danny Danon, called it “an important step towards stopping Iran’s nuclear programme and increasing pressure on the regime in Tehran.”
In a joint statement, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Germany’s Johann Wadephul, and France’s Jean-Noel Barrot said Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium had “no civilian justification.”
They argued that Tehran’s activities posed a “clear threat to international peace and security” and described its enrichment levels as “unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme.”
Barrot wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Europe remains committed to diplomacy during the 30-day window before sanctions automatically reapply.
“Iran’s nuclear escalation must not go any further,” he said.
Background
The 2015 deal was designed to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief.
However, the accord was weakened after former US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the agreement in 2018.
Since then, Western powers have accused Iran of deliberately breaching its commitments.
The latest European move comes just two months after a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which included the first US strikes on Iranian territory.
Analysts say while the strikes damaged parts of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, Tehran still retains much of its uranium stockpile.
With the October 18 deadline for snapback approaching, diplomatic observers say the coming weeks will be decisive for the future of nuclear negotiations with Iran.