Ultimatum to Iran: Four Countries set Deadline for Nuclear Agreement by End of August
Diplomatic efforts to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran are entering a critical phase. The United States and the three European powers, France, Germany, and Great Britain, have set Iran a definitive deadline of the end of August to reach an agreement on its nuclear program.
The US and three European countries have set Iran a deadline for a nuclear agreement. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; sipo (https://www.flickr.com/photos/siposoft) / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0 DEED, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)
If no agreement is reached by this deadline, the European countries plan to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism. This mechanism would automatically reinstate all UN Security Council sanctions that were lifted under the original 2015 Iran nuclear agreement (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA).
The threat of the “snapback” mechanism underscores growing concern about the progress of Iran's nuclear program. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has called on Europeans to reinforce the credibility of this threat, as the process of triggering snapback sanctions is expected to take about six weeks.
Iran has responded to the latest developments with sharp warnings. According to Iranian state media, Tehran is threatening escalation if the “snapback” mechanism is activated. This could include increasing uranium enrichment to weapons-grade levels and withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Iran has vowed retaliation in the event of the reimposition of UN sanctions.
The current deadline marks a crucial moment in the protracted negotiations. In the past, for example, in 2020, there have been attempts by the US to activate the “snapback” mechanism, but these were not supported by European allies. The international community is now watching with bated breath to see whether Iran will meet the deadline or whether the UN Security Council sanctions will be reinstated, which could have far-reaching consequences for the region and global diplomacy.