UK envoy says E3 extension offer on Iran snapback measures 'remains on the table'

HAMILTON, Canada

The United Kingdom, speaking on behalf of France, Germany and the UK (the E3), said Friday that their extension offer to Iran on snapback measures "remains on the table," while urging Tehran to address international concerns over its nuclear program.

"We believe Iran to be in significant non-performance of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Since 2019, Iran has increasingly and deliberately ceased performing almost all of its JCPOA commitments," UK envoy to the UN Barbara Woodward said during a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.

"This includes the accumulation of a highly enriched uranium stockpile, which lacks any credible civilian justification. In fact, according to the IAEA, Iran is the only country without nuclear weapons producing high-enriched uranium," she added.

Woodward stressed that "despite this, France, Germany and the United Kingdom are making every effort to resolve this diplomatically. Most recently, we offered Iran an extension to snapback, should Iran take specific steps to address our most immediate concerns."

She said the E3's conditions were "fair and realistic: Iran's resumption of negotiations on a comprehensive agreement, Iran's compliance with its IAEA obligations, and steps to address our concerns regarding the high-enriched uranium stockpile."

"Our notification to the Security Council has now triggered a 30-day period. It does not mark the end of diplomacy. Our extension offer remains on the table," she underlined, urging Tehran to reconsider and pursue a long-term diplomatic solution.

The E3 group of countries on Thursday triggered the mechanism for reinstating UN sanctions in their dispute with Iran over its nuclear program.

The European countries have urged Iran to resume negotiations with the US on its nuclear program and allow international inspectors to monitor sites and stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.

The US left the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 and re-imposed its own sanctions on Iran.

Earlier this year, it entered indirect nuclear talks with Iran, but Israel attacked Iran in June, and a sixth round of discussion in Oman was canceled.

The 12-day war saw the US bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.

The US has maintained that Iran must give up its nuclear program, but Tehran argues its program is only for civilian purposes.