France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have warned they are prepared to reinstate United Nations sanctions on Iran if it fails to re-engage in negotiations over its nuclear programme, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
According to the newspaper, the foreign ministers of the so-called E3 group wrote to the UN raising the prospect of activating the “snapback” sanctions mechanism unless Tehran takes meaningful steps towards a diplomatic resolution.
“We have made it clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism,” the ministers wrote, according to the report.
The warning follows what the ministers described as “serious, frank and detailed” talks with Iranian officials in Istanbul last month — the first in-person meeting since Israeli and US strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Requests for comment to the UK, French, and German governments went unanswered.
The snapback mechanism, established under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, allows for the automatic reimposition of UN sanctions if Iran is found to be in significant breach of its commitments.
Melissa Enoch
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