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The United Kingdom, France, and Germany have formally initiated the mechanism to restore major United Nations sanctions on Iran, a step that threatens to heighten already escalating tensions surrounding Tehran’s nuclear activities.

The so-called “snapback” procedure was activated through a joint letter sent by the three European powers—collectively known as the E3—to the UN Security Council, warning of Iran’s continued breach of its nuclear obligations.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced support for the move, writing on X: “The E3 – France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – initiated a process to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran. Snapback sanctions are a direct response to Iran’s continuing defiance of its nuclear commitments. The United States supports the E3’s decision and urges Iran to engage in serious diplomatic negotiations to resolve the nuclear issue.”

30 Days Before Sanctions Return To Iran

According to a report by the BBC, once the snapback process is triggered, the Security Council has 30 days to decide whether sanctions relief should continue or be allowed to lapse. If no agreement is reached, the sanctions—originally lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal—would automatically be reinstated.

The three countries had cautioned Tehran earlier this month that unless it committed to a diplomatic path by the end of August, they would have little choice but to proceed with reimposing penalties.

Stalled US-Iran Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Hostilities

Efforts to revive nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States have remained frozen since June, following American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. In retaliation, Tehran blocked access to UN-backed inspectors monitoring its programme, further intensifying the standoff.

Iran has already issued warnings of consequences should the snapback clause be applied. “The US wants Iran to be obedient to it. The Iranian nation is deeply offended by such a great insult and will stand with all its strength against those who harbour such a false expectation of the Iranian people,” Iran’s supreme leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei said, according to news agency IRNA.

On Sunday, Khamenei rejected calls for direct negotiations with the US and stated that US hostility has been consistent since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The 2015 agreement—signed by Iran, the US, the UK, France, Germany, China and the European Union—had lifted years of crippling economic sanctions in exchange for strict limits on Tehran’s nuclear work. However, the deal began to unravel when US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington’s participation in 2018 during his first term and reimposed sweeping nuclear-related sanctions.

In response, Iran gradually expanded its nuclear activities, reviving Western fears about its ambitions. Both the E3 and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have expressed doubts that the Iranian programme is entirely civilian in nature. Tehran, however, continues to insist that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons.