Paris: France, Germany, and the UK are considering reinstating global sanctions on Iran if it continues to violate its nuclear obligations, as confirmed by the French Foreign Minister. This follows a joint letter sent by the E3 countries to the United Nations urging action.
According to Anadolu Agency, Jean-Noel Barrot, the French Foreign Minister, expressed concerns that Iran must not gain access to nuclear weapons. He stated that if Iran persists in violating international agreements, the E3 countries are prepared to reinstate sanctions, including embargoes on arms, nuclear equipment, and banking restrictions. These sanctions were lifted a decade ago. Barrot shared this message on social media platform X, while also confirming that Iran has yet to respond to their offer to suspend sanctions reactivation temporarily and conditionally, allowing room for negotiations.
The letter sent to the UN on August 8, which was previously obtained by the Financial Times, emphasized the E3's commitment to preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The E3 foreign ministers warned that if Iran doesn't reach a diplomatic solution by the end of August 2025, or doesn't take advantage of an extension, they are prepared to activate the snapback mechanism. They highlighted ongoing nuclear activities in Iran that lack credible civilian justification and stated that these issues cannot be removed from the UN Security Council's agenda.
The E3 countries stressed the need for a robust, durable, and verifiable agreement and urged for the resumption of direct negotiations between Iran and the US. They expressed their readiness to support the negotiation process and reaffirmed their commitment to reaching a diplomatic resolution.
The backdrop to these developments includes a 12-day conflict initiated by Israel in June aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear program, with support from the US, which conducted bombings on three nuclear sites. The E3 countries, along with China, Russia, and the US, were part of the 2015 nuclear deal that intended to limit Iran's uranium enrichment in exchange for lifting sanctions. However, the US withdrew from the accord in 2018 under President Donald Trump, leading to the reinstatement of sanctions.
Recent developments saw Iran halting cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following the strikes, although it announced the expected arrival of the agency's deputy chief in Tehran for discussions. Nuclear talks between the E3, EU, and Iran were also held in Istanbul last month.