Europe Offers Extension of Deadline for Sanctions on Iran in Exchange for Resuming Nuclear Talks

Western diplomats announced that major European countries will present an offer to extend the deadline for reimposing international sanctions on Iran, focusing during talks in Istanbul today, Friday, on activating the "snapback mechanism", under conditions that include Tehran resuming negotiations with Washington and fully cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors.

A report in the Financial Times stated that the European offer is conditional on Iran's agreement to return to the nuclear negotiations table, while Tehran insists on security guarantees against any possible attacks if dialogue with the United States resumes.

Officials from Britain, France, and Germany (E3 group) are meeting with the Iranian delegation in Istanbul today, in the first direct meeting between the two sides since the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, which saw American intervention in the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities.

According to Al Arabiya, a French diplomatic source said: "We will work on reimposing all sanctions lifted from Iran after the Vienna agreement in 2015 if we do not reach an agreement by early September". He added that the talks will focus on reactivating the "snapback mechanism", with the possibility of discussing other issues such as "Iranian regional behavior and missile program, but the priority will be the nuclear issue".

The three European countries are under pressure to determine whether to activate the "snapback" mechanism, aimed at reinstating United Nations sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 nuclear agreement, which collapsed after the withdrawal of US President Donald Trump.

The E3 group previously warned that it would resort to this mechanism if diplomatic efforts fail to curb the Iranian nuclear program, which Tehran expanded in response to the US withdrawal and increased sanctions.

Western diplomats revealed to the Financial Times that Europe may propose extending the deadline for sanctions for several months to ease tensions and provide a final opportunity for a diplomatic solution. Without this extension, European countries will have to decide on activating the sanctions by mid-September, one month before key provisions of the nuclear agreement expire on October 18.