Sanctions on Iran could be extended

The E3 warn sanctions will return if Iran does not rejoin talks and accept a negotiated extension by a end August deadline.

E3 Plans Reimpose Sanctions on Iran Over Nuclear Programme

Three European foreign ministers from the UK, France and Germany wrote to the United Nations stating that the E3 are prepared to reimpose severe sanctions on Iran if Tehran does not re-engage in diplomacy and does not accept an extension to negotiations. The letter follows talks in Istanbul last month and says the offer to extend negotiations remains unanswered by Iran. The ministers set a clear deadline at the end of August 2025 and warn they will trigger the snapback mechanism if no diplomatic solution is reached. They also say they will use all diplomatic tools to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The move comes against a backdrop of long-running tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran has signalled willingness to resume talks only after sanctions are lifted and its right to a civilian programme is recognised. The 2015 nuclear deal, from which the US later withdrew in 2018, is cited as the framework for negotiations, though the deal itself is set to expire in October. The IAEA has reported uranium enriched to levels far above civilian use, and Iran’s cooperation with the agency has fluctuated amid broader regional tensions and exchanges of strikes and counterstrikes.

The E3 push uses a familiar tool in diplomacy: pressure with a deadline. By tying a new round of sanctions to a defined end date, the ministers aim to keep talks alive while signaling consequences for inaction. Yet deadlines in this context carry risk: if Iran views the extension as a precondition rather than a pathway to dialogue, the snapback could harden positions and reduce room for genuine compromise.

Analysts will watch how the policy affects Iran’s internal calculations and regional alliances. A renewed sanctions regime could rally hardliners in Tehran or push Iran toward further enrichment steps, complicating any future agreement. For European capitals, the outcome could redefine credibility with international partners and influence how the JCPOA framework is used in future diplomacy, especially given the ongoing debate over whether sanctions relief is a prerequisite for talks or a reward for progress.

Highlights

Diplomacy is a choice even when the path is narrow and the clock is ticking.