Europe seeks to revive Iran diplomacy, US considers strikes
Before Israel's strikes, the E3 and US put forward a resolution approved by the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Iaea), a UN watchdog, declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations last week.
As part of last week's resolution, European officials said they could refer Iran to the UN Security Council later in the summer to add pressure. That would be separate to reimposing UN sanctions, known as the snapback mechanism, before October 18 when the 2015 accord expires.
The Europeans are the only ones who can launch the snapback mechanism, with diplomats saying the three countries had looked to a final deadline at the end of August.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said on Friday he had instructed the military to intensify attacks on "symbols of the regime" in the Iranian capital Tehran, aiming to destabilise it.
"We must strike at the symbols of the regime and the mechanisms of oppression of the population, such as the Basij [militia], and the regime's power base, such as the Revolutionary Guard."
Reuters
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