Just days before an August 31 deadline, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK and the European Union’s top diplomat to head off the reimposition of UN sanctions via the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)s “snapback” mechanism, according to a report published by The Associated Press on Friday.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean‑Noel Barrot confirmed the call on X, saying, “We have just made an important call to our Iranian counterpart regarding the nuclear program and the sanctions against Iran that we are preparing to reapply. Time is running out.”
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and EU diplomat Kaja Kallas also backed the call for urgency.
Stressing that Iran needs to “engage substantively in order to avoid the activation of snapback”, Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul reportedly said, “We will not let the snapback of sanctions expire unless there is a verifiable and durable deal.”
Iran Pushes Back, But Unease Remains
Following the call, a statement issued via Telegram reiterated Tehran’s preference for diplomacy. “The Islamic Republic of Iran… has never abandoned the path of diplomacy and is ready for any diplomatic solution that guarantees the rights and interests of the Iranian people,” AP quoted Araghchi as saying.
The minister also criticised the European bloc’s stance to impose sanctions, arguing that the legal and moral authority of EU leaders is questionable.
IAEA Access at the Center of the Crisis
The looming sanction threat stems from Tehran’s refusal to cooperate with UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), especially in the wake of the brief Iran-Israel war that damaged resulted in substantial damage to key Iranian nuclear sites including Fordow. Analysts say the conflict appears to have left the international community in the dark about Iran’s uranium stockpile, enriched to 60% purity, which is alarmingly close to weapons-grade levels.
Part of the EU demand is restoration of access to the IAEA. However, Tehran has threatened to arrest IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi, further adding to tensions and complicating oversight efforts.
Meanwhile, parallel negotiations took place in Vienna as IAEA officials met with their Iranian counterparts in continuation of talks initiated during deputy Massimo Aparo’s visit to Tehran last week.
Deadline Dilemma: Snapback Window Closing
The European “snapback” warning has a firm deadline of August 31, meaning after October, any sanctions attempt could be blocked by UN Security Council vetoes from China or Russia — both of which have shown some backing for Iran, although they refrained from engaging in Israel-related actions this summer.
