Iran Warns Europeans That Reimposing Sanctions Could Have Irreversible Consequences
Iran's foreign minister warned Britain, France and Germany on Monday that a decision to trigger a UN mechanism reimposing sanctions on Tehran could lead to an irreversible escalation of tensions.
Under the terms of a UN resolution ratifying a 2015 nuclear pact, the three European powers could reimpose United Nations sanctions against Tehran before October 18, known in diplomatic circles as the "snapback mechanism".
"Iran has made its position clear. We have officially warned all JCPOA (nuclear pact) signatories that abuse of the snapback mechanism will lead to consequences — not only the end of Europe's role in the agreement, but also an escalation of tensions that could become irreversible," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote in a column in French weekly magazine Le Point.
US President Donald Trump exited Tehran's 2015 nuclear accord with six world powers in 2018 during his first term and reimposed tough sanctions that have devastated Iran's economy.
The European powers are not part of current negotiations between Iran and the United States, the fourth round of which ended in Oman on Sunday.
But the three powers have sought to coordinate closely with Washington with a view to whether and when they should use the snapback mechanism to raise pressure on Iran over its nuclear program.
Trump said on Monday that Iran was "talking intelligently."
"We want Iran to be wealthy and wonderful and happy and great, but they can't have a nuclear weapon, it's very simple. So I think they understand that I mean business and I think they're being very reasonable thus far," he told reporters.
Talks between the so-called E3 and Iran in Rome earlier in May were postponed. Araqchi said that a meeting between Iran's deputy foreign minister and E3 counterparts had since taken place, describing them as a "promising, but fragile start."
France's foreign ministry declined to comment. The British and German foreign ministries were not immediately available to comment.
According to diplomats and a document seen by Reuters, the E3 countries may trigger a snapback by August if no substantial deal can be found by then. The window closes on October 18.
Relations between the E3 and Iran have worsened over the last year despite sporadic meetings, against a backdrop of new sanctions imposed on Tehran over its ballistic missile program, its detention of foreign citizens and support for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Iran, which has long said its nuclear program is peaceful, has breached the 2015 pact's nuclear curbs since 2019, including "dramatically" accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% level that is weapons-grade, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.
It denies it is seeking nuclear weapons.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Saudi analyst tells Al Arabiya news that Turki Al-Jasser was a ‘terrorist' and ‘traitor'
RIYADH: Salman Al-Ansari, a renowned Saudi political analyst, said during an interview with news channel Al Arabiya that Turki Al-Jasser, who was arrested in 2018 and executed last Saturday, was not a journalist, as many posts on social media accounts claimed after his death was announced. Al-Jasser was 'literally a terrorist (and) a traitor, and he had nothing to do with journalism,' Al-Ansari said. Media reports describing him as a journalist were a 'fabrication,' he added. During the interview, Al-Ansari told Al Arabiya his sources had confirmed Al-Jasser worked for a 'sensitive government agency' and had access to classified information. He added that Al-Jasser had been involved 'in the planning and financing of terrorism.' Saudi Affairs Expert @Salansar1 rejects claims that terrorism convict Turki al-Jasser was a journalist. He shares new details in an interview on Al Arabiya English's W News. — Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) June 20, 2025
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Court Blocks Louisiana Law Requiring Schools to Post Ten Commandments in Classrooms
A panel of three federal appellate judges has ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in each of the state's public school classrooms is unconstitutional. The ruling Friday marked a major win for civil liberties groups who say the mandate violates the separation of church and state and that the poster-sized displays would isolate students–especially those who are not Christian. The mandate has been touted by Republicans including President Donald Trump and marks one of the latest pushes by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms. Backers of the law argue the Ten Commandments belong in classrooms because they are historical and part of the foundation of US law. The plaintiffs' attorneys and Louisiana disagreed on whether the appeals court's decision applied to every public school district in the state or only the districts party to the lawsuit. 'All school districts in the state are bound to comply with the US Constitution,' said Liz Hayes, a spokesperson for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which served as co-counsel for the plaintiffs. 'The appeals court's rulings interpret the law for all of Louisiana,' Hayes added. 'Thus, all school districts must abide by this decision and should not post the Ten Commandments in their classrooms.' Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she disagreed and believed the ruling only applied to school districts in the five parishes that were party to the lawsuit and that she would seek to appeal the ruling. The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals order stems from a lawsuit filed last year by parents of Louisiana school children from various religious backgrounds who said the law violates First Amendment language guaranteeing religious liberty and forbidding government establishment of religion. The mandate was signed into law last June by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. The court's ruling backs an order issued last fall by US District Judge John deGravelles, who declared the mandate unconstitutional and ordered state education officials not to take steps to enforce it and to notify all local school boards in the state of his decision. Law experts have long said they expect the Louisiana case to make its way to the US Supreme Court, testing the conservative court on the issue of religion and government. In 1980, the US Supreme Court ruled that a similar Kentucky law violated the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution, which says Congress can make no law respecting an establishment of religion. The high court found that the law had no secular purpose but served a plainly religious purpose. In 2005, the Supreme Court held that such displays in a pair of Kentucky courthouses violated the Constitution. At the same time, the court upheld a Ten Commandments marker on the grounds of the Texas state Capitol in Austin.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
5.1-magnitude quake rattles northern Iran amid Israel war
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake shook northern Iran on Friday, the US Geological Survey said, as Israel pounded the country with repeated waves of airstrikes.
