Iran warns European powers against imposing new sanctions over nuclear program
The Cradle, May 12, 2025 ─
The US and Iran completed a fourth round of nuclear talks on Sunday ahead of President Trump’s visit to the region.
Iran issued a stern warning on 11 May to European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal, cautioning against invoking the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action’s (JCPOA) snapback mechanism just as a fourth round of nuclear negotiations with the US concluded in Oman, IRNA reported on 12 May.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took to social media to criticize the UK, France, and Germany – the so-called E3 – warning that misuse of the snapback provision to reimpose UN sanctions could lead to “irreversible consequences” and permanently end Europe’s role in the nuclear agreement. He emphasized that the Islamic Republic is still open to diplomacy and proposed traveling to European capitals to advance dialogue, an initiative that led to preliminary deputy-level talks.
US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the JCPOA agreement in 2018, during his first term. Since returning to power in Washington in January, Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a new deal is not reached.
Araghchi’s remarks followed his op-ed in the French magazine Le Point, where he accused Europe of playing a dangerous game. He wrote that triggering the snapback could spark a “global non-proliferation crisis,” with Europe suffering the primary consequences.
Meanwhile, Iranian and US negotiators completed a three-hour session in Muscat, Oman – the fourth round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program – mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. Although most of the discussion was indirect, Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the talks as “difficult but useful.” The US side, led by Trump’s West Asia envoy Steve Witkoff, said they had reached an agreement to continue technical discussions in a future round.
The talks, which took place just days ahead of Trump’s expected visit to the region, are part of efforts to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for partial sanctions relief. However, the negotiations remain complicated by diverging red lines. Iran insists on retaining its uranium enrichment program – calling it a symbol of national sovereignty – while the US demands a complete dismantling of Iran’s enrichment infrastructure.
“The blood of our nuclear scientists fuels our program,” Araghchi said in a televised interview after the talks. He added that Iran may accept limitations similar to past deals, but would never abandon enrichment entirely.
Witkoff, in contrast, asserted in an interview with Breitbart that any agreement must end all enrichment activities, including dismantling major facilities such as Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.