Iran meets European powers amid threats of UN sanctions snapback

Iran meets European powers amid threats of UN sanctions snapback
by AFP Staff Writers
Istanbul (AFP) July 25, 2025

Iranian diplomats were meeting counterparts from Germany, Britain and France on Friday for renewed nuclear talks, amid warnings that the three European powers could trigger "snapback" sanctions outlined under the 2015 deal.

The meeting in Istanbul is the first since Israel's mid-June attack on Iran, which sparked a 12-day war and targeted key nuclear and military sites.

The meeting was due to last until 12:30 pm local time (0930 GMT), according to Iranian state television.

Israel's offensive -- which killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others as residential areas were struck as well -- also derailed US-Iran nuclear talks that began in April.

Since then, the European powers, known as the E3, have threatened to trigger the "snapback mechanism", which would reinstate United Nations sanctions on Iran by the end of August, under the effectively moribund 2015 nuclear deal.

The option to trigger the snapback expires in October, and Tehran has warned of consequences should the E3 opt to activate it.

"Inaction by the E3 is not an option," a European source said, noting that Tehran would be reminded during the meeting that the snapback window closes this autumn.

The source said Europeans are preparing to trigger the mechanism "in the absence of a negotiated solution" and called on Iran to make "clear gestures" regarding uranium enrichment and the resumption of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

Ahead of the talks on Friday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the meeting would be a "test of realism for the Europeans and a valuable opportunity to correct their views on Iran's nuclear issue", in remarks to the official IRNA news agency.

- Sanctions -

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who will attend the talks Friday, alongside senior Iranian diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi, warned this week that triggering sanctions "is completely illegal".

He also accused European powers of "halting their commitments" to the deal after the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 during President Donald Trump's first term.

"We have warned them of the risks, but we are still seeking common ground to manage the situation," said Gharibabadi.

Iranian diplomats have previously warned that Tehran could withdraw from the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty if UN sanctions are reimposed.

Restoring sanctions would deepen Iran's international isolation and place further pressure on its already strained economy.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged European powers to trigger the mechanism.

Israel's June 13 attack on Iran came two days before Tehran and Washington were scheduled to meet for a sixth round of nuclear negotiations.

On June 22, the United States itself struck Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz.

Before the war, Washington and Tehran were divided over uranium enrichment, which Iran has described as a "non-negotiable" right, while the United States called it a "red line".

The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran is enriching uranium to 60 percent purity -- far above the 3.67 percent cap under the 2015 deal and close to weapons-grade levels.

Tehran has said it is open to discussing the rate and level of enrichment, but not the right to enrich uranium.

A year after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran began rolling back its commitments, which had placed restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Israel and Western powers accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons -- a charge Tehran has consistently denied.

- 'Unshakable' -

Iran insists it will not abandon its nuclear programme, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying " Iran's position remains unshakable, and that our uranium enrichment will continue."

Araghchi has previously noted that enrichment is currently "stopped" due to "serious and severe" damage to nuclear sites caused by US and Israeli strikes.

The full extent of the damage sustained in the US bombing remains unclear. Trump has claimed the sites were "completely destroyed", but US media reports have cast doubt over the scale of destruction.

Since the 12-day war, Iran has suspended cooperation with the IAEA, accusing it of bias and failing to condemn the attacks.

Inspectors have since left the country but a technical team is expected to return in the coming weeks after Iran said future cooperation would take a "new form".

Israel has warned it may resume strikes if Iran rebuilds facilities or moves toward weapons capability.

Iran has pledged a "harsh response" to any future attacks.

Iran defends 'unshakable' right to enrich uranium ahead of key talks
Tehran (AFP) July 24, 2025 - Iran on Thursday reaffirmed its right to enrich uranium, saying it was "unshakable", on the eve of key talks with European powers threatening to reimpose nuclear sanctions.

Friday's meeting, set to take place in Istanbul, will be the first since Israel's mid-June attack targeting key nuclear and military sites in the Islamic republic sparked a 12-day war.

The United States joined its ally Israel in the offensive, striking three Iranian nuclear facilities overnight between June 21 and 22.

"Especially after the recent war, it is important for them to understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran's position remains unshakable, and that our uranium enrichment will continue," said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"We will not give up this right of the Iranian people," he said, quoted by Tasnim news agency.

The hostilities between Iran and Israel broke out just two days before Tehran and Washington were set to resume negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme.

Britain, France and Germany -- alongside China, Russia and the United States -- are parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which placed major restrictions on its atomic activities in return for the gradual lifting of UN sanctions.

However, in 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the agreement during Donald Trump's first term as president and reimposed its own sanctions.

Britain, France and Germany maintained their support for the 2015 accord and sought to continue trade with Iran, meaning UN and EU sanctions were not reinstated.

But they have since accused Tehran of failing to uphold its commitments and are threatening to reimpose sanctions under a clause in the agreement that expires in October -- something Iran is keen to avoid at all costs.

"Inaction by the E3 is not an option," a European source said of the three powers, noting that Tehran would be reminded during the meeting that the snapback window closes this autumn.

The source said Europeans were preparing to trigger the mechanism "in the absence of a negotiated solution" and called on Iran to make "clear gestures" regarding uranium enrichment and the resumption of cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The IAEA says Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed country currently enriching uranium to 60 percent -- far beyond the 3.67 percent cap set by the 2015 accord.

That is a short step from the 90 percent enrichment required for a nuclear weapon.

Western powers, led by the United States and backed by Israel, have long accused Tehran of secretly seeking nuclear weapons.

Iran has repeatedly denied this, insisting its nuclear programme is solely for civilian purposes such as energy production.

Tehran and Washington had held five rounds of nuclear talks starting in April, but a planned meeting on June 15 was cancelled after Israel launched its strikes on Iran.