France, Germany, UK Warn Iran: Talks or Sanctions Will Snap Back

France, Germany and the United Kingdom have told the United Nations they’re ready to bring sanctions back on Iran if it doesn’t come to the table soon.

In a joint letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council, the three powers — known as the E3 — said they are “committed to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon” unless Tehran engages with them before the end of August.

“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 AFP.

The “snapback” clause comes from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which eased UN sanctions in return for limits on Tehran’s uranium enrichment. Under that agreement — which officially expires in October — any signatory can restore sanctions if they believe Iran has broken the terms.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is civilian only and has denied any weapons ambitions. But European officials point to Tehran’s uranium stockpile, which they say is now more than 40 times the limit set in the 2015 accord. Still, inspections have not shown uranium enriched to weapons-grade levels.

The warning comes after Iran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Tehran cut ties with the UN nuclear watchdog following a June war with Israel, when Israeli strikes killed senior officials and hit nuclear facilities. The US later carried out its own bombing raids.

Talks last month in Istanbul marked the first face-to-face meeting since those strikes, with the E3 describing them as “serious, frank and detailed.”

Iran has since agreed to restart dialogue with the IAEA and will soon host the watchdog’s inspectors for the first time since ties were broken.

France, Germany and the UK — alongside the US, Russia, China and the EU — were original signatories of the JCPOA. The deal has been shaky ever since Donald Trump pulled the US out in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, calling it a “bad deal.”

Now, with tensions at a peak, Europe’s message is clear: Iran either talks — or faces the snapback.