France gives Iran a 30-day deadline to avoid sanctions in exchange for "demonstrating good faith"

France has reiterated that the door to diplomacy is not closed for Iran, noting that Tehran has the opportunity to avoid international sanctions if it demonstrates "good faith" and cooperates with the International Atomic Energy Agency during the upcoming deadline.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen: "We offered Tehran a postponement of sanctions in exchange for cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, but it has not responded so far. After 30 days, sanctions will be reimposed, while keeping the door to diplomacy open."

He added that the "snapback mechanism" will reimpose international and European sanctions, including on banks, nuclear technology, and weapons.

France, Britain, and Germany had offered to postpone the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran if it addressed concerns regarding its nuclear program over the next month, emphasizing that the deadline provides a new opportunity to resolve outstanding issues, including Iran's commitments to the agency and its enriched uranium stocks.

For its part, Iran condemned the European offer as insincere, accusing the troika of bad faith and extortion, and described the decision to activate the "snapback" as illegal and unjust. Iranian officials confirmed that the European demands are unrealistic, and that the "snapback" mechanism will not affect existing equations or previous sanctions, while emphasizing that dialogue and diplomacy remain an open option.