SAEDNEWS: E3 countries claim the snapback mechanism is needed to pressure Iran to resume talks with the U.S. and grant IAEA access to its nuclear sites, including 60% enriched uranium.
According to SAED NEWS, while these demands may seem reasonable, Tehran has legitimate reasons for doubt. Iranian officials are distrustful of the IAEA and suspect that sensitive information may have leaked, enabling Mossad to carry out operations targeting their nuclear scientists. They fear that disclosing the location of enriched uranium could merely trigger another wave of U.S. airstrikes.
Furthermore, Iran was at the negotiating table when Israel and the United States began bombing it. Now the E3 countries insist that Tehran return to negotiations, while no similar request has been made to Washington to refrain from renewed bombings.
Perhaps the most important point is that, given the impassable gap over enrichment, Trump’s limited patience for diplomacy, and Israel’s pressure to resume hostilities, resuming negotiations—which is almost certain to happen—could lead to failure, unless both sides show more flexibility on enrichment. This only increases the likelihood of a premature outbreak of war.
But perhaps that is exactly the intended outcome.