US backs European decision to trigger Iran sanctions, Rubio says
US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio on Thursday said Washington backed a move by France, Germany and Britain to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.
Citing "Iran’s continuing defiance of its nuclear commitments," Rubio said, "the United States supports the E3’s decision and urges Iran to engage in serious diplomatic negotiations to resolve the nuclear issue."
The United States withdrew from the 2015 international deal over Iran's disputed nuclear program during President Donald Trump's first term in 2018, meaning only other parties to the agreement are able to pursue sanctions on Iran for its perceived non-compliance.
Talks between Tehran and Washington ended abruptly in June when Israel launched a surprise military campaign on Iran, in a 12-day war capped off by US attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom said on Thursday they tirelessly sought to engage with Iran about their concerns over Tehran's nuclear activities but were met with evasion and violations of a 2015 nuclear deal, according to a letter they sent to the UN Security Council on Thursday.
"The E3 have consistently and in good faith sought to resolve with Iran issues with respect to Iran's non-compliance," the letter published by Germany's foreign ministry said.
"The E3 believe Iran to be in significant non-performance of its commitments," it added. "Since 2019 and as of today, Iran has increasingly and deliberately ceased performing its JCPoA commitments."
"Iran's actions stand in stark contrast to an exclusively peaceful use of its nuclear energy," the countries wrote.
Three European powers which initiated a mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran on Thursday hope to conclude the 30-day process before Russia assumes in the presidency of the UN Security Council in October, Axios reported citing European diplomats.
Russia and Iran inked a strategic partnership agreement in January and Iranian-designed drones have been key to Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. Still, Russia provided little support to Iran in a 12-day war with Israel joined by the United States in June.
"The E3 leaders think that Iran has been for years in clear violation of its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal, with no concrete steps taken to remedy that situation," Axios cited a European diplomat as saying.
"Triggering the snapback process would not mean the end of diplomacy. The E3 remain open to engaging with Iran in the weeks until the UN sanctions will come into effect", the diplomat added.
Britain, France and Germany on Thursday triggered the so-called snapback mechanism, a 30-day process to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear program, Reuters reported citing a document the trio sent to the UN Security Council.
The E3 said in the statement they had made the move before the expiry of their ability to do so in mid-October according to a timeline enshrined in a now mostly defunct 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran has warned of unspecified consequences if Europe made the move and has said the deal is no longer in effect and snapback cannot be invoked
A hardline Iranian lawmaker on Thursday said that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are now barred from entering Iran under a new parliamentary law but also acknowledged that exceptions remain possible.
Ali Khazaei told reporters that “IAEA inspectors are banned from entering the country” and that the law is binding on the government. He accused the agency of passing classified nuclear information to Iran’s enemies and said enforcement of the law was essential to “preserving national authority.”
However, Khazaei also cited a clause in the law that allows inspections in “specific locations” if the Supreme National Security Council approves and protective protocols are observed.
The missile barrages launched by Iran earlier this year caused record destruction in Israel, with more than 53,500 damage claims filed in just 12 days of fighting, the Israel Tax Authority said, according to a report by Ynet on Thursday.
“The direct damage is now estimated at no less than NIS 4 billion ($1.1 billion), and the indirect damage, which has yet to be calculated, will amount to several billion more,” Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovich said.
Major institutions, including the Weizmann Institute of Science and Soroka Medical Center, suffered heavy losses, while many businesses were forced into prolonged shutdowns, he added.
Israel launched the 12-day air campaign against Iran in June, with brief support from the United States, targeting nuclear sites and killing senior military officials and nuclear scientists. The strikes crippled much of Iran’s air defense network and damaged a significant portion of its ballistic missile arsenal, Israel said.
Property losses made up the bulk of claims. Of 41,962 filings for damaged structures, 36,928 involved private residences, with hundreds of homes completely destroyed.
The state will have to fund alternative housing for displaced families until rebuilding can be completed, a process expected to take months if not years, officials said.
The commercial sector was also hit hard. Businesses filed 5,108 claims, including hundreds of shops and offices destroyed beyond repair. Vehicle damage reached unprecedented levels, with at least 5,400 cars damaged or destroyed.
9,803 claims were submitted through a fast-track process, while 28,129 direct-damage claims were processed within two months, according to the authority.
So far, the Property Tax Compensation Fund has paid out NIS 1.6 billion ($430 million) for direct damages.
Claims for indirect losses, such as business interruptions, nearly doubled direct claims, reaching 98,569 in just under two weeks of fighting. About 60,000 of these have already been processed, with NIS 1 billion ($270 million) in partial compensation paid.
Officials cautioned that the final tally—factoring in both direct and indirect damages—will end up several times higher than the current estimates, underscoring the unprecedented financial cost of Operation Rising Lion.
