Britain, France, and Germany have informed the United Nations Security Council of their readiness to reimpose all international sanctions on Iran if necessary to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons. This warning comes ahead of the October 18, 2025, expiration of a 2015 UN resolution tied to the Iran nuclear deal.

The European nations accuse Iran of rapidly enriching uranium to 60% purity, approaching weapons-grade levels. Western states argue such enrichment has no civilian purpose, emphasizing no country has done so without pursuing nuclear arms. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has limited the UN nuclear watchdog’s oversight.

The 2015 nuclear agreement lifted sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program but has unraveled since the U.S. exited the deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. Tensions have escalated with Iran increasing its military aid to Russia and backing proxies involved in regional conflicts.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the importance of a peaceful resolution to Iran’s nuclear issue, citing the region’s deteriorating stability. Sanctions snapback would require Iran to halt nuclear activities and reimpose restrictions on arms, ballistic missile development, and targeted entities.

Russia and Iran oppose the move. Iran’s UN ambassador called for diplomacy overpressure, while Russia’s envoy claimed the snapback mechanism was unjustifiable. European diplomats continue to push for de-escalation as fears of nuclear escalation grow.