France, Germany and the United Kingdom (the E3), while invoking the “ snapback ” mechanism against Iran on Thursday, which restores international sanctions, signaled that the step does not close off the path to diplomacy.

The snapback mechanism, built into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or 2015 Iran nuclear deal, allows any signatory to automatically reimpose sanctions against Iran lifted under the deal if it is deemed in breach of its commitments. The move reinstates a series of measures, including restrictions on conventional arms transfers, ballistic missile development and nuclear-related technology.

The United States attempted to reimpose a U.N. arms embargo on Iran in 2020 but the president of the Security Council ruled it was no longer a “participant” in the nuc

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