Britain, France and Germany formally invoked the UN Security Council’s “snapback” mechanism on 28 August, accusing Iran of “significant non-performance” with its nuclear commitments under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The step starts a 30-day countdown after which all UN sanctions lifted in 2016—including restrictions on arms, banking and oil exports—will automatically be re-imposed unless the Council adopts a resolution to the contrary. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the European move and said Washington will work with the E3 and other Council members to ensure the sanctions are restored. He added that the United States remains prepared for direct talks with Tehran. Diplomats said the Security Council will convene on Friday to discuss the notification. Tehran dismissed the snapback notice as “null, void and without legal effect,” arguing the three European powers have no right to revive sanctions. Iranian officials warned that the decision would “seriously undermine” cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and promised “appropriate responses,” while also saying diplomacy with the E3 would continue and reciprocal measures were under consideration. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed that inspectors have returned to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant but not to key enrichment sites damaged in June’s U.S. strikes. He stressed that full inspector access is indispensable for any credible negotiations, saying current monitoring falls short of the agency’s requirements. Russia and China, which called the snapback legally baseless, circulated a draft Security Council resolution to extend the existing JCPOA framework by six months and urged all parties to resume talks. European ministers said they will use the 30-day window to seek a diplomatic settlement that averts the re-imposition of sanctions, but insisted Iran must grant full IAEA access and halt high-level uranium enrichment.