U.S. Secretary of State, E3 Counterparts Consult on Iran amid Snapback Tensions
Tehran – BORNA – According to the State Department, Rubio spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Deputy State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said after the call: “All parties reaffirmed their shared commitment to ensuring that Iran never produces or obtains a nuclear weapon.”
Iranian officials, however, have consistently stressed that the country has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons.
The diplomatic outreach comes only hours after Reuters cited Western diplomatic sources indicating that the three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal were preparing to trigger the “snapback mechanism” to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran.
Four Western diplomats told Reuters that while Tuesday’s talks between Iranian representatives and the E3 in Geneva ended without tangible results, “space for continued diplomacy in the coming weeks” remains.
They added that the Europeans have decided to move toward activating the snapback process, possibly starting Thursday.
The snapback procedure, embedded in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, allows for the reimposition of international sanctions in the event of alleged “non-compliance.” The process takes 30 days and would reapply restrictions on Iran’s finance, banking, energy, and defense sectors.
One Western diplomat was quoted as saying: “The real negotiations will begin once the letter is formally sent to the Security Council.”
Tuesday’s meeting in Geneva brought together senior political directors from Iran, Germany, France, and the UK. The session followed earlier talks in Istanbul in July. The E3 had previously tied any extension of the snapback deadline to conditions such as the resumption of full IAEA inspections inside Iran, explanations regarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, and a restart of diplomacy with the United States.
Iran has firmly rejected Europe’s stance, arguing that the E3, by failing to uphold their own commitments under the JCPOA and by remaining silent in the face of U.S. violations, lack both the legal and moral basis to invoke the mechanism. Iranian officials have warned that Tehran’s response to any reimposition of UN sanctions would be “severe.”
On Tuesday, despite exchanging views on Resolution 2231, the talks ended without a concrete outcome. Both sides agreed to continue consultations.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press quoted a diplomatic source as saying: “The negotiations concluded without a final result, but efforts to find a solution before the European deadline expires are still ongoing.”
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