UK, France, and Germany Trigger Snapback Mechanism to Reinstate Sanctions on Iran

Kokcha News Agency – The three European powers, all signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, have formally notified the United Nations Security Council of their decision to trigger the snapback mechanism.

This move comes after Iran was accused of “clear and intentional” violations of the JCPOA, including exceeding uranium enrichment limits, heavy water production, and restricting access for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors.

In a joint statement, the UK, France, and Germany outlined their reasons for activating the snapback mechanism, citing Iran’s failure to comply with the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry, however, has denounced the move as an “illegal and unjustified attempt” to revive previously lifted UN sanctions, accusing the European countries of distorting the facts.

The snapback mechanism, embedded in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, allows for the automatic reinstatement of sanctions if a party to the JCPOA is found to be in violation of the agreement.

The European powers have until October 18, 2025, to complete the process before the mechanism expires.

Iran has warned that the activation of the snapback mechanism will severely undermine ongoing cooperation with the IAEA and has vowed to respond with “appropriate measures.”

This development comes just two days after a meeting between Iran and the European trio in Geneva, which reportedly yielded no significant progress.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed hope that the European countries would “correct their wrong move in the coming days by adopting a responsible approach and understanding the realities on the ground.”