.Europe to Reimpose UN Sanctions on Iran After “Not Serious” Talks, Macron Says
PARIS – European powers are set to reimpose international sanctions on Iran by the end of the month, French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Thursday, declaring that recent talks aimed at preventing the move had failed.
The decision follows a 30-day process launched by Britain, France, and Germany—known as the E3—at the end of August. The process triggered a “snapback mechanism” designed to restore a wide range of United Nations sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
President Macron indicated that the final efforts to find a diplomatic solution had fallen short.
“Our latest round of talks with Tehran were deemed not serious,” Macron said on Thursday, effectively closing the door on a last-minute reprieve. The E3 had set conditions for Iran to meet throughout September to convince them to delay the snapback.
The snapback mechanism was a key provision of the original nuclear agreement. It allows participants to reinstate multilateral UN sanctions if Iran is found to be in violation of the deal’s terms. The E3 argue that Iran’s significant breaches of its nuclear commitments, including enriching uranium beyond the agreed-upon limits, justify the move.
The impending return of UN sanctions marks a severe blow to the crumbling JCPOA. The agreement began to unravel in 2018 when the United States unilaterally withdrew and began imposing its own stringent sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran gradually expanded its nuclear program beyond the deal’s restrictions.
The reimposed UN sanctions will include:
· An arms embargo on Iran
· A ban on Iranian uranium enrichment
· Asset freezes for key individuals and entities linked to Iran’s nuclear program
· Restrictions on Iranian ballistic missile activity
This move is expected to further escalate tensions in the region and isolates Iran diplomatically. It also creates a complex situation at the UN, as the United States had previously attempted to trigger the snapback mechanism itself, a move that was rejected by other Security Council members who argued Washington had no legal standing to do so after leaving the deal.
The E3, however, as remaining participants in the JCPOA, are considered to have the legal authority to initiate the process. The reinstatement of sanctions is expected to take effect automatically within 30 days of the mechanism being triggered, likely around September 30th.