Germany warned on 16 July that the three European powers—France, the United Kingdom and Germany—could invoke the UN Security Council’s “snapback” mechanism and restore sanctions on Iran if no verifiable solution to Tehran’s nuclear programme is reached during the summer. The spokesperson said reimposing the measures lifted under the 2015 nuclear accord remains an option should diplomacy fail. The statement follows a telephone call earlier this week in which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the E3 foreign ministers agreed to set an informal deadline at the end of August for reviving nuclear talks, according to diplomats briefed on the discussion. Triggering snapback would automatically reinstate the full array of UN restrictions after a 30-day process—a window that closes in October, when the JCPOA’s enforcement provisions expire. European leaders had already urged Tehran to return to negotiations, saying on 24 June that “now is the time for diplomacy” after a fragile Iran-Israel cease-fire. Separately, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted on 12 June that Brussels’ concerns extend beyond the atomic file to Iran’s support for Russia and its detention of EU nationals. Iran has not publicly responded to the new timeline. Failure to reach a deal would revive UN bans on arms transfers, missile activities and a range of financial transactions, adding to US sanctions and further constricting the Islamic Republic’s economy.