UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has warned that the ball is in Iran’s court after Britain, France, and Germany signaled readiness to reimpose UN sanctions if Tehran fails to agree to a nuclear deal by the end of August.
In a joint letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council, the three countries confirmed they are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism if diplomatic efforts stall.
“We have made it clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism,” the ministers wrote.
In a separate article, British foreign minister David Lammy told the Jewish News that the group has offered Iran a limited extension to UN sanctions relief subject to clear conditions.
Among those is Iran resuming negotiations with the US and ensuring full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“The UK has long been clear that Iran’s nuclear program is a threat to international peace and security, with its failure to produce credible assurances regarding the nature of the program," Lammy said.
The E3 said their offer “remained unanswered by Iran” and warned they would act if no deal or extension was secured before the deadline. “Iran still has the choice to resume diplomacy, and we urge Iran to do so,” Lammy said. “The ball is now in Iran’s court.”
Talks in Istanbul last month aimed at securing compliance ended without agreement. Sanctions relief, granted under the 2015 nuclear deal, is due to expire in October. The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 during President Donald Trump’s first term, reinstating all US sanctions.
The E3 maintain they are committed to using “all diplomatic tools” to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon, which Tehran insists it is not seeking.
