Iran Warns Europe Over Possible UN Sanctions Snapback

Iran is warning Europe’s big three powers, France, the UK and Germany, that reimposing United Nations sanctions will have consequences.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday that Tehran told European diplomats in Geneva they don’t have the right to trigger the “snapback mechanism” under the 2015 nuclear deal, though both sides agreed to keep nuclear talks going.

The talks between Iran and the so-called E3 come as the Europeans consider pushing sanctions back through the UN Security Council by October, when parts of the nuclear deal are set to expire.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran is still “committed to diplomacy and a mutually beneficial solution.” The EU also took part in the meeting as coordinator of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

This was the second round of talks since Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June. That conflict killed Iranian commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of civilians, and also saw the US bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities in support of Israel. Tehran responded by suspending cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.

The 2015 deal let Iran enrich uranium for civilian use but capped it at 3.67 percent — just enough to generate electricity. In return, Western sanctions were lifted.

That collapsed in 2018 when Donald Trump pulled the US out and reimposed crushing sanctions, saying the deal was too weak. Iran fully walked away a year later.

Today, the IAEA says Iran is enriching uranium up to 60 percent — way beyond the agreed limit and close to weapons-grade, though Tehran insists its program is peaceful and for energy purposes only.

The E3 are threatening to trigger the snapback by the end of August. If they do, sanctions return. But if they don’t act before October, the window closes, and UN sanctions are permanently removed.

Baghaei warned of a “harsh response” if sanctions are reinstated, saying Iran’s focus is on avoiding “costly incidents” while negotiating “with all our might.”