France signals readiness to reinstate UN sanctions if Iran nuclear talks fail

PARIS — As negotiations between Iran and the United States continue toward a potential new nuclear deal, French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot (Mouvement démocrate, MoDem) warned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that France is prepared to reinstate UN sanctions on Iran if the discussions collapse.

Barrot emphasized that if the Iranian nuclear agreement expires in the coming weeks without addressing European security concerns, France would act decisively to restore all sanctions lifted a decade ago.

France, alongside Britain and Germany — collectively known as the European Troika — is a signatory to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which is set to expire in October. As parties to the agreement, they retain the authority to trigger a mechanism that would reimpose sanctions via the UNSC.

At the same time, Iran and the United States, which withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Tehran, are actively engaged in talks to resolve the long-standing nuclear crisis.

Barrot’s remarks underline Europe’s firm stance on ensuring regional security and preventing nuclear proliferation as the clock ticks on the landmark 2015 agreement.