France, the UK and Germany will launch the UN snapback mechanism on Iran to restore sanctions by the end of August if no concrete progress has been made on a nuclear deal by then, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday.
“It's a fact: Iran violated the obligations it took 10 years ago during negotiations on the Iranian nuclear [programme],” Mr Barrot said before a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
“So France and its partners are justified in reapplying global embargoes on arms, banks and nuclear equipment that were lifted 10 years ago. Without a firm, tangible and verifiable commitment from Iran, we will do so by the end of August at the latest,” Mr Barrot added.
Inspectors from the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), must be allowed to return to Iran, and a diplomatic process must be launched that leads to a negotiated settlement on Iran's “nuclear, ballistic and destabilising activities”, Mr Barrot added.
The French minister was speaking one day after speaking about Iran with his UK and German counterparts – three European countries collectively known as the E3. “They agreed on the need to maintain close co-ordination on the next steps, with decisions to be taken before the end of the summer,” French diplomatic sources said.
In comments to The National, a representative for the German Foreign Office said the snapback mechanism "remains an option" if a solution is not achieved "by the end of the summer".
"Regarding the Iranian nuclear programme, a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution that addresses the security interests of the international community is essential," the representative added.
Under the terms of a UN resolution ratifying a 2015 nuclear pact, the deadline for the three European powers to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran is October 18.
But August had long been discussed as an informal date to trigger sanctions because of procedural reasons related to the snapback mechanism, which involves a 30-day review period.
It could have been decided earlier because Iran has breached its obligations since at least May 2019, said Benjamin Hautecouverture, a nuclear expert at the Foundation for Strategic Research think tank in Paris.
The snapback mechanism can be requested by participants to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and cannot be vetoed by any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - China, the US, Russia, France and the UK.
Pressure on Iran
Reinstating UN sanctions will not change much in practice because of a US embargo that applies around the globe. The aim is to force Iran to accept the terms of negotiations that it has so far refused, including ending enrichment of uranium - a position pushed by France and the US.
"It will therefore not be a decisive factor for Tehran, but the European decision indicates additional pressure on the regime to bring it to its knees and accept negotiations that will finally prevent it from enriching uranium," Mr Hautecouverture told The National.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that any move by Britain, France and Germany to reimpose international sanctions through the snapback mechanism would “end Europe's role” in Iran's nuclear issue. He added that Iran's co-operation with the IAEA has not stopped but would take a new form.
Iran will not agree to any nuclear deal that does not allow it to enrich uranium and will reject attempts at including defence issues such as its missiles in a nuclear deal, Mr Araghchi said. This position is at odds with France's demands, which wants a broad deal.
Tehran has said its programme is peaceful but Israel and the US say it was months away from producing a nuclear bomb before their recent air strikes on Iran - an assessment that has not been made publicly by Europeans.
The strikes pushed the Iranian Parliament to pass a law stipulating that inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the IAEA needs approval by the Supreme National Security Council, its top security body.
The urgency of the situation in Iran encouraged France to hold talks with Russia, as a fellow permanent member of the Security Council. On July 2, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for two hours in their first talks since 2022.
Mr Putin, an Iranian ally, said in his call to Mr Macron that it was necessary to respect Iran's right to the peaceful development of nuclear energy. However media reports later claimed that Mr Putin had also voiced support for the idea of an accord in which Tehran would be barred from enriching uranium.
The snapback mechanism would reinstate six Security Council resolutions from 2006 to 2010. They include an arms embargo and a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing. Resolution 1929 calls on states to exercise particular vigilance in financial transactions with Iran that may encourage nuclear proliferation. This could indirectly affect Iran's oil sales - yet its main client, China, has defended the trade as legitimate.
"China's strict compliance with multilateral sanctions is never entirely certain and the Russia-China-Iran strategic triangle, including in terms of hydrocarbon trade, will be in full swing," Mr Hautecouverture said.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
HWJN
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
England-South Africa Test series
1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London
2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London
4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
HAJJAN
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Williams at Wimbledon
Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)
Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
FANS WILL LOVE
It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
FANS WILL LOVE
The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
FANS WILL LOATHE
The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
