'Ball is in Iran's court': EU says diplomacy not over despite snapback

Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of the hardline Kayhan daily and representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader, has pushed back on President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent remark that “honesty and justice” alone can deter threats.

In an editorial, he wrote: “If Iran had no missiles or drones, would the US and Israel have spared us in the 12-day war?” He added that the Quran itself commands the preparation of force to deter enemies.

The head of Iran’s parliamentary commission on internal affairs said on Sunday that the European push to activate the UN snapback mechanism is an attempt to “revive the corpse” of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Mohammad Saleh Jokar, a senior lawmaker, said the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was “unilaterally scrapped by the United States” and no longer exists, yet European powers are now using it “to secure their own interests with help from Zionist plots and the US.”

“The Iranian people gained nothing from the JCPOA,” Jokar said. “Western parties never upheld their promises, while Iran fulfilled its commitments early on.”

He added that the snapback push violates international law and warned that Tehran “will not forget this mistake.”

The JCPOA is the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in June without alerting US diplomats, leaving them unable to answer questions from foreign governments, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Officials from Middle East countries pressed for answers after the strikes, but US embassies could only point to Trump’s public remarks, the Journal said, citing people involved in the talks.

The report said Trump has sidelined the National Security Council, slashed staff to under 150, and merged key roles. Secretary of State Marco Rubio now also serves as national security adviser.

“It is a top-down approach,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Journal. “We don’t really care if your feelings are hurt. We just need to get a job done.”

“In many respects, the national security process has ceased to exist,” said David Rothkopf, a historian of the NSC. Trump, he added, effectively is the national-security system—“the State Department and the Joint Chiefs and the NSC all rolled into one.”

Some aides say the system cuts leaks and speeds decisions. Others warn it leads to confusion and leaves officials guessing what Trump wants.

"Iran must not have a nuclear weapon. That's why we as the E3 have triggered the snapback mechanism," said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Saturday.

The three European countries will use the next 30 days to seek a negotiated solution, he said, according to a post on X by the German foreign ministry.

"Otherwise, UN sanctions will come back into force. The ball is now in Iran's court."

Withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and halting cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency are options available to the Islamic Republic in response to Europe's activation of the snapback mechanism, said Vahid Ahmadi, a member of parliament’s National Security Committee on Saturday.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said on Friday that parliament cannot independently decide on such measures, and initiatives like withdrawing from the NPT would require the explicit approval of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

"The 30-day deadline has started and this does not mark the end of diplomacy," EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas told reporters on Saturday, after France, Britain and Germany triggered the "snapback" mechanism that will reimpose UN sanctions on Iran.

"Tehran still has the chance to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency and resume negotiations with the US over its nuclear program. And the ball is in Tehran's court."

"So I stand ready to support any kind of diplomatic efforts towards finding a solution," she added.

Iran will respond to the Europeans’ move to trigger the so-called "snapback" mechanism "in a smart and decisive manner, and based on national interests," said Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

Iran’s armed forces are now more operationally and logistically prepared than before the 12-day war with Israel, the defense ministry spokesman said on Saturday.

“Our military sustained damage during the 12-day war, but I can firmly say that Iran’s operational, combat, and defense readiness has significantly improved as a result of the experience gained,” Reza Talaei-Nik said.

The return of international sanctions on Iran should not be underestimated, and all national resources must be directed toward countering them, a political adviser to the president said on Saturday. “Long-term sanctions harm development and limit Iran’s international presence, even affecting ties with Eastern powers,” Mehdi Sanaei wrote on X.

Foreign currency and gold prices in Iran rose sharply on Saturday after France, Germany, and Britain triggered the UN snapback mechanism, Iranian media reported.

The US dollar climbed by about 20,000 rials from the previous day to reach 1.04 million rials on the open market. The euro and British pound also saw gains of nearly 2 percent, selling for around 1.214 million and 1.401 million rials, respectively.

Local outlets said the market is reacting to fears that renewed UN sanctions could restrict trade, freeze assets, and add pressure on inflation and imports.