Germany, France and the United Kingdom have triggered a sanctions mechanism regarding Iran, their foreign ministers announced Thursday. Johann Wadephul, Jean-Noel Barrot and David Lammy jointly confirmed the activation of what is known as the “snapback” mechanism, previously outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2231 relating to the Iran nuclear agreement.
The move follows a notification delivered on August 12th to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN Security Council detailing the intent to utilize the mechanism if necessary. According to the ministers, this initiates a 30-day period after which previously lifted UN Security Council resolutions may be reinstated.
They clarified that the prospective sanctions are not new measures, but rather those that had been suspended under the terms of the nuclear agreement. The ministers assert that Iran has chosen not to adhere to its commitments established within the agreement.
According to the statement, since 2019, Iran has exceeded the limits set forth in the agreement concerning enriched uranium, heavy water and centrifuge operation. Furthermore, they allege that Iran has impeded the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from effectively monitoring its nuclear program. The foreign ministers state that these actions have “grave implications” for Iran’s capacity to advance toward the development of nuclear weapons, asserting that the nuclear program “continues to pose a clear threat to international peace and security”.