France threatens Iran with UN sanctions by end of August

European countries set to trigger UN snapback mechanism if there are no nuclear talks

A satellite view of Iran's Fordow underground nuclear complex after US air attacks. Reuters

France, the UK and Germany will launch the UN snapback mechanism on Iran to restore sanctions by the end of August if no concrete progress has been made on a nuclear deal by then, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday.

“It's a fact: Iran violated the obligations it took 10 years ago during negotiations on the Iranian nuclear [programme],” Mr Barrot said before a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

“So France and its partners are justified in reapplying global embargoes on arms, banks and nuclear equipment that were lifted 10 years ago. Without a firm, tangible and verifiable commitment from Iran, we will do so by the end of August at the latest,” Mr Barrot added.

Inspectors from the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), must be allowed to return to Iran, and a diplomatic process must be launched that leads to a negotiated settlement on Iran's “nuclear, ballistic and destabilising activities”, Mr Barrot added.

The French minister was speaking one day after speaking about Iran with his UK and German counterparts – three European countries collectively known as the E3. “They agreed on the need to maintain close co-ordination on the next steps, with decisions to be taken before the end of the summer,” French diplomatic sources said.

In comments to The National, a representative for the German Foreign Office said the snapback mechanism "remains an option" if a solution is not achieved "by the end of the summer".

"Regarding the Iranian nuclear programme, a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution that addresses the security interests of the international community is essential," the representative added.

Under the terms of a UN resolution ratifying a 2015 nuclear pact, the deadline for the three European powers to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran is October 18.

IAEA inspectors must be allowed to return to Iran, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said. Reuters

But August had long been discussed as an informal date to trigger sanctions because of procedural reasons related to the snapback mechanism, which involves a 30-day review period.

It could have been decided earlier because Iran has breached its obligations since at least May 2019, said Benjamin Hautecouverture, a nuclear expert at the Foundation for Strategic Research think tank in Paris.

The snapback mechanism can be requested by participants to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and cannot be vetoed by any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - China, the US, Russia, France and the UK.

Pressure on Iran

Reinstating UN sanctions will not change much in practice because of a US embargo that applies around the globe. The aim is to force Iran to accept the terms of negotiations that it has so far refused, including ending enrichment of uranium - a position pushed by France and the US.

"It will therefore not be a decisive factor for Tehran, but the European decision indicates additional pressure on the regime to bring it to its knees and accept negotiations that will finally prevent it from enriching uranium," Mr Hautecouverture told The National.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that any move by Britain, France and Germany to reimpose international sanctions through the snapback mechanism would “end Europe's role” in Iran's nuclear issue. He added that Iran's co-operation with the IAEA has not stopped but would take a new form.

Iran will not agree to any nuclear deal that does not allow it to enrich uranium and will reject attempts at including defence issues such as its missiles in a nuclear deal, Mr Araghchi said. This position is at odds with France's demands, which wants a broad deal.

Tehran has said its programme is peaceful but Israel and the US say it was months away from producing a nuclear bomb before their recent air strikes on Iran - an assessment that has not been made publicly by Europeans.

The strikes pushed the Iranian Parliament to pass a law stipulating that inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the IAEA needs approval by the Supreme National Security Council, its top security body.

The urgency of the situation in Iran encouraged France to hold talks with Russia, as a fellow permanent member of the Security Council. On July 2, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for two hours in their first talks since 2022.

Mr Putin, an Iranian ally, said in his call to Mr Macron that it was necessary to respect Iran's right to the peaceful development of nuclear energy. However media reports later claimed that Mr Putin had also voiced support for the idea of an accord in which Tehran would be barred from enriching uranium.

The snapback mechanism would reinstate six Security Council resolutions from 2006 to 2010. They include an arms embargo and a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing. Resolution 1929 calls on states to exercise particular vigilance in financial transactions with Iran that may encourage nuclear proliferation. This could indirectly affect Iran's oil sales - yet its main client, China, has defended the trade as legitimate.

"China's strict compliance with multilateral sanctions is never entirely certain and the Russia-China-Iran strategic triangle, including in terms of hydrocarbon trade, will be in full swing," Mr Hautecouverture said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, right, has warned against reimposing sanctions using the snapback mechanism. EPA