Germany, France and the United Kingdom are likely to start the process of reimposing UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program on Thursday, three European officials told CNN Wednesday.
The snapback process, included as part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, takes 30 days to complete. The officials said it is the hope that Tehran will take action to stop the reimposition of the sanctions during that window – that it will engage seriously in diplomatic negotiations about its nuclear program and allow international inspections of its facilities.
Iran has threatened harsh consequences if the snapback sanctions are triggered. Reuters first reported that the process would likely begin Thursday.
Tehran has grown its nuclear program, which it says is for peaceful purposes, far beyond the restrictions put forward by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) after the United States withdrew from the landmark agreement during President Donald Trump’s first term.
“Going back to the original JCPOA would be almost impossible,” Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Wednesday.
