UK, Germany, France say Iran snapback necessary due to ‘clear and deliberate’ noncompliance

Citing Iran’s “clear and deliberate” violations of the terms of the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal, the French, German, and British foreign ministers lay out in a joint statement their rationale for initiating the snapback mechanism against Tehran.

“Iran’s non-compliance with the JCPOA is clear and deliberate, and sites of major proliferation concern in Iran are outside of IAEA monitoring,” say the E3 diplomats.

They describe Iranian actions since 2019 that go beyond agreed-upon limits on enriched uranium, heavy water and centrifuges, and its restrictions on the International Atomic Energy Agency inspection regime.

“Iran has no civilian justification for its high enriched uranium stockpile — now over 9 Significant Quantities — which is also unaccounted for by the IAEA.”

The ministers stress that Iran’s nuclear program is “a clear threat to international peace and security.”

The European signatories to the JCPOA negotiated in good faith for years to try to bring Iran back into compliance, they say, but were rebuffed by Iran.

The three diplomats stress that they will use the 30-day period until UN Security Council sanctions are reinstated to continue to engage with Iran in an attempt to convince it to comply with its JCPOA commitments.