France, Germany and the U.K. on Thursday began the process to reimpose U.N.-backed sanctions on Iran through the snapback mechanism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, putting further pressure on the Islamic Republic to find a diplomatic solution to its nuclear program.
The process, triggered after the European nations sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council, will take at least 30 days, giving Iranian diplomats more time to negotiate their way out of sanctions. The mechanism is veto-proof at the council, giving Iranian allies Russia and China few options to oppose the punishment.
According to reports, the E3 nations said in the letter they plan to make full use of the 30-day processing period to negotiate a peaceful solution with Iran.
The 15-member U.N. Security Council will also reportedly hold a closed-door meeting on Friday to discuss Iran’s noncompliance with the JCPOA following a request from France and the U.K.
The new sanctions would impose an arms embargo on Iran and place a heavy strain on its ballistic missile program. Key Iranian officials could see their assets seized and their travel restricted as well.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blasted the move on Thursday, asserting that the European leaders, known collectively as E3, have no legal standing to invoke the snapback mechanism.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately to this unlawful and unwarranted measure,” he said.
Mr. Araghchi has recently downplayed the impact that snapback sanctions would have on his country and has touted recent discussions with Russia and China aimed at countering their effects. Additionally, Iran has threatened to pull out of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty if the mechanism is triggered.
European diplomats insisted they’re still open to negotiation, suggesting the next 30 days could bring a whirlwind of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
“This measure does not signal the end of diplomacy,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X Thursday. “We are determined to make the most of the 30-day period that is now opening to engage in dialogue with Iran.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the E3’s decision to trigger the snapback, adding that the U.S. will work with Europe to ensure the process is smooth.
“The United States appreciates the leadership of our E3 allies in this effort,” Mr. Rubio said in a statement. “Over the coming weeks, we will work with them and other Members of the UN Security Council to successfully complete the snapback of international sanctions and restrictions on Iran.”
He added that the U.S. is prepared to reenter direct negotiations with Iran and called on Iranian leaders to “take immediate steps necessary to ensure that their nation will never obtain a nuclear weapon” and to “walk the path of peace.”
Sen. Jim Risch, Iowa Republican and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pressed the UNSC to impose sanctions to curb “Iranian aggression.”
“While this is a good step, now the hard work begins. I look forward to working closely with the Trump Administration to ensure all UN member states fulfill their obligations under the restored UN sanctions and to hold all nations and actors who help the Islamic Republic flout international law accountable,” Mr. Risch said in a statement.
The U.S. and Iran were engaged in nuclear negotiations this year, but those talks were interrupted by the outbreak of war between Iran and Israel. The U.S. eventually joined in that conflict, with U.S. bombers wrecking Iranian enrichment sites and further degrading U.S.-Iran relations.
Iran has maintained that it would resume indirect negotiations with the U.S. only if Washington is able to provide substantial security guarantees. Specifically, Iranian officials want to ensure that no further U.S. strikes take place during negotiations and that Iran be allowed to continue enriching uranium.
E3 leaders promised to trigger the snapback mechanism at the end of August if Iran failed to restart cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which it halted in late July. Iranian diplomats met with E3 representatives that month in Istanbul but did not come away with an agreement.
The two sides met again this week in Geneva. Some European diplomats expressed disappointment with Iran’s failure to meet their demands, which included allowing IAEA inspectors back in Iran and providing more transparency on its surviving stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Also this week, Iran announced that it allowed some IAEA inspectors back into the country to oversee the refueling process at the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Inspectors would not have access to the uranium enrichment sites hit by Israeli and U.S. bombs in June, and officials said negotiations with IAEA officials are still ongoing.
The threat of further sanctions has sparked intense internal debate in Iran over the economic and military future of the country. Increased travel restrictions and economic sanctions threaten to tank Iran’s diplomatic efforts and throttle its economy, leaving Iranians even more isolated than they were before the June war with Israel. Iran’s rial declined dramatically on Wednesday following reports E3 would follow through on its snapback threat.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.