France, the United Kingdom, and Germany have warned they will reintroduce UN sanctions on Iran by the last month of summer if no diplomatic breakthrough takes place on the nuclear issue.
The coordinated message from the European trio, dubbed E3, marks a certain stance on renewing the 2015 nuclear deal.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the three nations said they remain committed to diplomacy but also voiced concerns over Tehran’s violations of the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The message was made public a few weeks before the UN sanctions are due to expire.
“Without a firm, tangible and verifiable commitment from Iran, we will do so by the end of August at the latest,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
Iran, however, has argued that its nuclear programme is peaceful and that the current crisis should be blamed on the United States’ 2018 withdrawal from the JCPOA. Since then, Tehran has steadily ramped up uranium enrichment and restricted access to international inspectors.
Tehran-West tensions have escalated in recent months as Iran has been increasing military cooperation with Moscow, which is currently at war with Ukraine.
According to diplomats familiar with the E3 discussions, the goal is to mount pressure on Iran while the international consensus on non-proliferation is being tested.
The original JCPOA offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for strict limits on its nuclear activities under international monitoring in effect. But since the US pulled out in 2018, the deal has teetered on the brink of collapse.
As of now, Iran has not issued an official response to the E3’s ultimatum.
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