France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on Thursday triggered a mechanism to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, deepening Tehran’s isolation after repeated Israeli strikes on its atomic sites during a 12-day war.
The “snapback” process, built into the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, is designed to bypass vetoes at the U.N. and could take effect within a month.
If implemented, it would freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals, and penalize ballistic missile development – further straining a struggling economy already battered by sanctions and inflation.
The move initiates a 30-day window for negotiations. European diplomats framed the measure as a diplomatic lever rather than a punitive action.
“This measure does not signal the end of diplomacy: we are determined to make the most of the 30-day period that is now opening to engage in dialogue with Iran,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X.
