The UK, France and Germany have begun the process of restoring major UN sanctions on Iran – lifted under a 2015 deal – as tensions once again escalate over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The move will trigger a so-called snapback mechanism, which could result in the return of sanctions in 30 days.
The three countries, participants in the 2015 deal, warned two weeks ago that they were ready to do this unless Iran agreed to a “diplomatic solution” by the end of August.
Iran’s foreign ministry said the move would “seriously undermine” its ongoing process with the International Atomic Energy Agency, calling it a “provocative and unnecessary escalation” that “will be met with appropriate responses”.
Talks between Iran and the US over its nuclear programme have not resumed since June when the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites and Iran barred UN-backed inspectors from accessing its facilities.
Years-long crippling economic sanctions were lifted in exchange for curbs to Iran’s nuclear programme under a UN-backed deal between Iran and the US, UK, France, Germany, China and the EU.
But the deal unravelled after Donald Trump pulled the US out, calling it flawed and re-imposing nuclear-related sanctions in 2018 during his first term. Iran stepped up its nuclear activities in response, fuelling a renewed crisis.
The snapback provision was built into the 2015 accord and allows for a participant to initiate the process to bring back sanctions if they believe Iran has significantly failed to fulfil its nuclear commitments by notifying the UN Security Council.
The UK, France and Germany, known as the E3, took the step in a letter to the Security Council on Thursday. The council now has 30 days in which to decide whether to continue sanctions relief or allow it to lapse.
The letter said Iran’s non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal was “clear and deliberate”. It declared that Iran had “no civilian justification” for its high enriched uranium stockpile – uranium purified to near military grade – and that its nuclear programme “remains a clear threat to international peace and security”.
The E3 said that during the next 30 days they would continue to engage with Iran “on any serious diplomatic efforts to restore [its] compliance with its commitments”.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK and its European allies recently offered an extension to sanctions relief, subject to Iran meeting certain conditions.
But he added that Iran had made “no substantive effort” to meet these conditions and “consistently failed to provide credible assurances on the nature of its nuclear programme”.
Iran’s foreign ministry pushed back, saying it had demonstrated “its utmost restraint and steadfast commitment” to diplomacy to preserve the previous deal and find a negotiated solution.
Iran urged a rejection of the snapback provision, but said it remained ready to engage with other members of the UN Security Council.
The US said it welcomed initiation of the snapback and would work with the E3 to complete it.
“At the same time, the United States remains available for direct engagement with Iran – in furtherance of a peaceful, enduring resolution to the Iran nuclear issue,” a spokesperson for US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Western powers and the global nuclear body the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) say they are not convinced that Iran’s nuclear programme has purely peaceful purposes. Iran strongly insists it is not seeking nuclear weapons, and that its nuclear programme is solely a civilian one.