UK, France and Germany plan to reimpose sanctions on Iran over nuclear weapon fears

The UK, France and Germany are planning to revive UN-backed sanctions on Iran over fears it is developing nuclear weapons.

The three European nations, known as the E3, are triggering the "snapback" mechanisms after efforts to restart diplomatic talks over Tehran's nuclear programme stalled. Read more: Asylum hotel appeal decision expected Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, but it has enriched uranium to levels exceeding that required for civil nuclear power.

This is a breach of a deal agreed with Western nations in 2015, when a series of sanctions were suspended. However, the E3 now wants to reimpose those sanctions, which were made by a UN resolution.

The sanctions include freezing Iranian assets abroad, halting arms deals with Tehran and penalising any development of its ballistic missile programme to further squeeze Iran's flailing economy. Before the sanctions are implemented, there will be a 30-day period when the UK, France and Germany hope talks can take place and Iran will agree to step back its nuclear ambitions.

The E3 wrote to US secretary of state Marco Rubio informing him of their intent, and on Thursday afternoon, notified the UN. The UN Security Council will meet on Friday to discuss the move, it is understood.

Russia and China, two out of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, quickly drafted a resolution to extend the Iran nuclear deal for six months and urge all parties to immediately resume negotiations. Russia's deputy UN envoy said the E3's move has "no legal bearing".

E3: Iran's nuclear programme is threat to international peace In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the UK, France and Germany, said they have "consistently" undertaken "intensive diplomatic efforts" over the past five years to de-escalate tensions and bring Iran and the US to the negotiating table after Iran essentially abandoned the 2015 agreement. But they said Iran has refused suggested packages while "continuing to raise unacceptable demands".

They added: "Today, Iran's non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) is clear and deliberate, and sites of major proliferation concern in Iran are outside of IAEA monitoring. "Iran has no civilian justification for its high enriched uranium stockpile - now over nine Significant Quantities - which is also unaccounted for by the IAEA.

Its nuclear programme, therefore, remains a clear threat to international peace and security." They committed to "strive to diplomatically resolve" the issue and will use the 30-day period to "engage with Iran". US welcomes sanctions snapback Mr Rubio welcomed the sanctions snapback and said the E3 have laid out a clear case of Iran's continuing "significant non-performance" of its nuclear commitments.

He confirmed the US will work with the E3 and members of the UN Security Council to complete the reimposition of the sanctions, and said the US remains available for direct engagement with Iran. Iran rejects move The development has not been met well by the Iranians, with Tehran's foreign ministry saying it "strongly rejects and firmly" condemns the move.

They called it a "provocative and unnecessary escalation" and said it will be met with "appropriate responses". Donald Trump withdrew the US from the JCPOA on Iran's nuclear agreement in 2018, three years after an agreement between Iran and the UN Security Council's five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the UK, the US) plus Germany, and re-imposed sanctions that had been lifted when the agreement was made in 2015.

Tehran's relations with the West are strained following its 12-day war with Israel earlier this year. During that conflict, Israel targeted Iran's largest nuclear sites, claiming Tehran was close to developing nuclear weapons.

Lammy: Ball is in Iran's court British foreign secretary David Lammy said the UK and its European allies have "negotiated in good faith" with Iran since 2019, but are now "left with no choice" but to reintroduce sanctions. He said: "Iran's nuclear programme remains a threat to global peace and security.

Over the past six years, Iran has broken almost all limits in the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and its stockpile of enriched uranium is 45 times over the JCPOA limit. "Alongside our European allies, the UK has negotiated in good faith since 2019, when Iran began to disregard the nuclear deal.

We supported a viable deal in 2022, which Iran rejected, and recently offered an extension to sanctions relief, subject to Iran meeting set conditions." "Whilst we have been left with no choice but to take this action, the ball remains in Iran's court and I would welcome their return to the table with a serious offer," he added..