Deadline set for Iran to control nuclear activities by European powers
The United Nations sanctions on Iran's nuclear program, which were lifted in 2015 as part of an agreement with the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3), remain suspended but are set to automatically reactivate by the end of August 2025. This "snapback" mechanism, designed to restore all previous U.N. sanctions if Iran fails to comply with its nuclear restrictions, is now looming over diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Recent discussions among the E3 and the U.S. Secretary of State have emphasised the urgency of this deadline. If Iran does not make concrete progress towards a nuclear deal by the end of August, the E3 countries have threatened to justify reapplying the U.N. sanctions that were lifted a decade ago.
In a statement made after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, the French Foreign Ministry warned that without a verifiable commitment from Iran, the sanctions will be restored. The matter was also discussed in a phone call on July 14 between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of the E3 countries.
The potential reimposition of U.N. sanctions was not directly linked to a billboard's appearance in central Tehran, which featured a painting of a missile falling on Israel and the slogan "The missile has fallen amidst the demons" in Farsi. The content of the billboard may be intended as a political statement or a form of propaganda, but its specific meaning or intended audience is not clear from the provided information.
The 2015 agreement, which had economic penalties lifted on Iran in exchange for restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear program, is contingent on no concrete progress on a nuclear deal with Iran. The E3 countries have jointly warned Iran to either make concrete progress towards a nuclear deal or face the automatic restoration of U.N. sanctions by the end of August.
Iran has rejected the legitimacy of the snapback threat and warned it would respond appropriately if these sanctions are reimposed. The next few weeks are critical for diplomacy, with the snapback sanctions poised to resume based on Iran’s compliance or lack thereof. The discussions about the possible Iranian deal and reimposing sanctions took place in a meeting on July 15 between the E3 countries' ambassadors to the United Nations at Germany's U.N. Mission.
In summary, as of mid-2025, the sanctions remain lifted but will be restored automatically by the United Nations at the end of August 2025 if Tehran does not agree to a nuclear deal. The next few weeks are critical for diplomacy, with the snapback sanctions poised to resume based on Iran’s compliance or lack thereof.
- Amidst the diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, the E3 countries have threatened to justify the reapplication of the U.N. sanctions on Iran's nuclear program, originally lifted in 2015, if Iran fails to make concrete progress towards a nuclear deal by the end of August.
- The reimposition of U.N. sanctions, set to automatically reactivate by the end of August 2025, is a significant aspect of the current policy-and-legislation, particularly in the context of Iran's nuclear program, and is a hot topic in the politics of general-news.
