Washington, DC – Jamal Abdi, President of the National Iranian American Council, issued the following statement following reports that France, Germany and the United Kingdom (the so-called E3) have moved to trigger “snapback” and restore six prior United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Iran after what they deemed insufficient progress toward a new nuclear understanding:
“France, Germany and the United Kingdom appear to be making a major diplomatic blunder by triggering snapback sanctions on Iran. The current nuclear crisis began when the U.S. exited the JCPOA in 2018 and Europe failed to stand up to illegal sanctions and salvage the agreement. Now, less than 10 weeks after Israel and the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear program without legal authorization from the UN Security Council, Europe is not working to deescalate and engage in serious diplomatic efforts to prevent further conflict and a wider war but instead joining with Netanyahu and Trump in imposing ultimatums and putting its thumb on the scale for more conflict.
“Forty years of sanctions have not solved our challenges with Iran’s leadership, but it has decimated Iranian society. Bombing did not end Iran’s nuclear program, it fractured international oversight of Iran’s nuclear program. The return of UN sanctions will only complicate and close off diplomatic pathways to resolving the nuclear standoff, while providing an opening to those intent on reigniting the June war with Iran.
“There may be a short window for the E3 and Iran to continue negotiations and strike a deal that reverses this snapback decision and leads to an extension. However, doing so will require both diplomatic urgency and reasonable expectations that have been sorely lacking in the sporadic and half-hearted negotiations that have taken place since Israel’s illegal attack on Iran’s nuclear program in June. The E3 seems to expect that Iran, under threat of further military bombardment, will agree to significant concessions without Europe being able to offer anything in turn. This has, predictably, led to a further breakdown of goodwill that is necessary for a successful negotiation under difficult and timebound circumstances.
“Each party seems to think that it has a stronger hand to play than it has. This could work in the favor of a reevaluation and a diplomatic breakthrough. Yet blinders seem to be limiting the vision of the diplomats involved, and thus the diplomatic possibilities being discussed. More serious, realistic and urgent diplomacy is needed. The time is growing short – and war is likely to be the cost of failure.”
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