Iran is threatening to raise uranium enrichment to weapons-grade levels and exit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if Western powers move forward with reimposing United Nations sanctions, according to Iranian state media. The warning follows mounting pressure from the United States and its European allies.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom agreed in a phone call Monday to set an August deadline for a nuclear agreement, Axios reported.
If no deal is reached by then, the three European powers plan to trigger the UN “snapback” mechanism, which would automatically reinstate global sanctions on Iran’s arms trade, banking sector, and nuclear program.
Newsweek has reached out to State Department and Iran’s foreign ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
The possible reactivation of UN snapback sanctions threatens to dismantle the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and push Iran toward enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. This crisis has deep roots in the U.S. withdrawal from the deal in 2018 under President Donald Trump, which led Iran to reduce compliance and expand its nuclear program.
Recent Israeli and U.S. strikes directly on Iran’s nuclear facilities have further escalated tensions. Combined diplomatic and military pressures have heightened tensions and if Iran does exit the NPT, it could end international oversight of its nuclear activities, weakening global nonproliferation efforts.
What to Know
According to the Tasnim news agency, Iran has warned that triggering the snapback mechanism could prompt it to raise uranium enrichment from 60 percent to 90 percent—considered weapons-grade—and potentially redirect its enriched uranium stockpile for military uses not explicitly banned under international agreements.
Not Backing Down
Echoing that position, a member of Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Tehran would respond firmly to renewed sanctions. “Iran has given and will continue to give proportional responses to Western missteps,” Alaeddin Boroujerdi said. He urged Europe to act “wisely,” stressing Iran will not retreat under pressure and will defend its legal rights. While open to negotiations, Boroujerdi said talks must respect Iran’s sovereignty and its right to enrich uranium. He added that Iran’s scientific expertise cannot be destroyed by force: “Bombing cannot erase this knowledge — it will only come back stronger.”
No Rush to Talk
On Tuesday, President Trump said that Iran was eager to reopen talks with Washington but that he was in “no rush” to respond, citing the recent U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
His comments came as Rubio and European foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the UK held a joint call to coordinate strategy on Iran. The call focused on contingency planning ahead of the end of August deadline for a nuclear deal and explored how best to manage the snapback timeline before Russia assumes the rotating UN Security Council presidency in October.
What People Are Saying
US President Donald Trump: “They [Iran] would like to talk. I’m in no rush to talk because we obliterated their site.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said: “Without a firm, tangible, and verifiable commitment from Iran, we will [trigger snapback] by the end of August at the latest.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned: “This move would mark the end of Europe’s role in Iran’s peaceful nuclear file.”
What Happens Next
If no progress is made by the August deadline, France, Germany, and the U.K. are expected to initiate snapback sanctions with U.S. backing. Iran could then escalate its nuclear activity and withdraw from the NPT—moves likely to inflame tensions already heightened by recent Israeli and U.S. military action and which could lead to further conflict.