E3 states activate Iran sanctions: escalation before the UN Security Council!

E3 states activate Iran sanctions: escalation before the UN Security Council!

On August 28, 2025, Germany, France and Great Britain activated the mechanism to reintroduce UN sanctions against Iran following insufficient progress in nuclear negotiations with Tehran. The letter formalizing this step was sent to the UN Security Council on Thursday. This must decide within the next 30 days whether the sanctions relief will be continued or whether the sanctions will automatically come into force again, which is expected to be the case in September. vol.at reports that the reasons for this move include a lack of progress in nuclear talks and Iran's repeated violations of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Possible sanctions that could come into force if restored include an arms embargo and punitive measures against Iranian individuals and entities. Iran has condemned the decision as “baseless and unlawful” and threatened “appropriate responses” to this “provocative and unnecessary escalation.” In recent years, Tehran has steadily expanded its nuclear infrastructure and invites the IAEA to review its activities, but denies accusations that it is working toward nuclear weapons.

The snapback mechanism and reactions

The snapback mechanism allows UN sanctions to be reactivated in the event of serious violations of the nuclear agreement. According to the E3's assessments, there are significant violations, which were outlined in a letter to the Security Council. This includes enriching uranium up to 60 percent, which is demonstrably unjustifiable for civilian purposes. tagesschau.de reports that Iran has significantly violated its obligations under the nuclear agreement since 2019.

The USA, which welcomes the E3's move, is also involved in an intense diplomatic situation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the situation as a "significant non-compliance" of Iran's nuclear commitments, with the US remaining willing to hold direct talks with Iran. In addition, Russia and China are preparing a draft resolution that is intended to avert the reintroduction of sanctions.

International tensions and regional context

The situation in Iran is particularly tense after Israeli air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, which even led to a 12-day conflict. Loud zeit.de The Bushehr nuclear power plant was monitored, but inspections of other damaged facilities have been suspended until further notice. Expert estimates show that Iran has now accumulated a larger amount of enriched uranium than was envisaged in the original agreement.

The E3 states have repeatedly stressed that they have stuck to their commitments as Iran continues its nuclear expansion. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is calling for comprehensive cooperation with the IAEA and accelerated talks with the USA in order to avert the threat of sanctions. If Iran does not pursue these talks further, the decision to reintroduce sanctions will rest with the United Nations Security Committee.