SAEDNEWS: France’s warning that it may trigger the UN’s snapback mechanism against Iran has deepened diplomatic tensions, with Tehran warning that such a move would destroy Europe’s credibility and permanently sever its role in resolving the nuclear dossier.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced Tuesday that France, the United Kingdom, and Germany—the E3—will trigger the UN’s snapback sanctions mechanism against Iran by the end of August unless “substantial progress” is made toward restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Speaking in Brussels ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Barrot stated: “France and its partners are justified in reapplying global embargoes on arms, banks, and nuclear equipment. Without a firm, tangible, and verifiable commitment from Iran, we will do so by the end of August at the latest.”
The snapback clause is enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and allows any signatory of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to unilaterally reimpose pre-2015 UN sanctions if Iran is deemed non-compliant. The process requires only a formal letter to the Security Council, triggering a 30-day period after which sanctions are automatically reinstated unless blocked by a counter-resolution.
Iran has repeatedly rejected the legal validity of the snapback threat, calling it both politically motivated and procedurally flawed. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei noted that the U.S.-backed Israeli attack on Iran last month—which damaged nuclear facilities and killed scientists—fundamentally undermines any legitimacy for invoking the clause.
“Resorting to this mechanism lacks any legal, political, or moral justification,” Baqaei said. “And Europe, having failed to meet its own obligations under the JCPOA, has no standing to invoke its terms.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a sharper warning: if Europe proceeds with snapback, its diplomatic role in Iran’s nuclear dossier will end permanently.
“If the Europeans choose this path,” Araghchi said, “they will make resolving the nuclear case more complex and lose Iran’s trust indefinitely. Diplomacy is built on neutrality—not on coercive threats.”
In an interview with Le Monde, Araghchi questioned Europe’s credibility: “How can Iran be asked to comply with the rules when Europe refuses to even condemn Israeli aggression?”
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi suggested more drastic countermeasures were being considered. Iran has already suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and officials have hinted that withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) remains a possibility.
The E3 threat follows Israel’s recent U.S.-backed assault on Iran—a campaign that killed nuclear scientists and damaged civilian nuclear infrastructure. Tehran views Europe’s silence during the attack as further proof of the politicization of international institutions and a broader erosion of diplomatic norms.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s public characterization of the Israeli strikes as “dirty work” carried out through proxies only deepened Tehran’s mistrust.
Iranian officials argue that Europe forfeited its rights under the JCPOA long ago by consistently violating commitments after the United States withdrew from the deal under Donald Trump. Among the failures:
The European financial mechanism INSTEX proved ineffective, executing only minor humanitarian transactions.
Major European companies such as Total and Siemens exited the Iranian market under U.S. pressure.
Iranian oil exports to Europe dropped precipitously from 2.5 million barrels per day to fewer than 400,000 after 2018.
These breaches, Iranian leaders argue, render Europe unfit to demand Iranian compliance.
They contend that the deal has already lost its integrity, and that any snapback activation would destroy remaining diplomatic channels. The reinstatement of six UN Security Council resolutions—including arms embargoes, asset freezes, and travel bans—would not only be redundant, they argue, but provocative.
Even more consequentially, Tehran warns it may abandon the NPT altogether, freeing it from international inspections and obligations on nuclear non-proliferation.
As Iran’s chief diplomat warned, the E3 faces a decisive choice: “a constructive role or provocation.” Araghchi stressed that the international community must decide whether to salvage dialogue or plunge the region into deeper conflict.
With the expiration of UN Resolution 2231 looming in October, the E3-imposed August deadline could determine the fate of diplomacy in one of the world’s most volatile nuclear flashpoints.
