Iran to hold call with European nations over nuclear program as
sanctions deadline draws closer
[August 22, 2025]
By JON GAMBRELL
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Just days away from a European
deadline, Iran said Friday its foreign minister would hold a telephone
conference call with his French, German and British counterparts to
avoid the reimposition of United Nations sanctions over Tehran's nuclear
program.
The call, planned for Friday by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi,
according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, comes as the three
parties to Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal threaten to reimpose those
sanctions under a mechanism known as “snapback” in the accord. The
European Union's chief diplomat will also join the call, IRNA said.
The Europeans' concern over the Iranian program, which had been
enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels before the 12-day
Iran-Israel war in June saw its atomic sites bombed, has only grown
since Tehran cut off all cooperation with the International Atomic
Energy Agency in the conflict's wake. That has left the international
community further blinded to Iran's program — as well as the status of
its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity, a short, technical step
to weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Iran has long insisted its program is peaceful, though it is the only
non-nuclear-armed nation enriching uranium at that level. The U.S., the
IAEA and others assess Iran had a nuclear weapons program up until 2003.
European letter set deadline
In a letter Aug. 8, the three European nations warned Iran it would
proceed with “snapback” if Tehran didn't reach a “satisfactory solution”
to the nuclear issues. That deadline would be Aug. 31, in nine days,
leaving little time for Iran to likely reach any agreement with the
Europeans, who have grown increasingly skeptical of Iran over years of
inconclusive negotiations over its nuclear program.
Restoring the IAEA's access is a key part of the talks. Iran has blamed
the war with Israel in part on the IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog,
without offering any evidence. The IAEA issues quarterly reports on
Iran's program and the 2015 deal gave it greater access to keep track of
it.
Iran has also threatened its director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi,
with arrest if he comes to Iran, further complicating talks. Grossi is
considering running to become the U.N.'s secretary-general, something
Tehran has seized on as well in its criticisms of the Argentine
diplomat.
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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends the 17th annual BRICS
summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo
Peres, File)
Alongside the European call with Iran, IAEA officials in Vienna were
to meet with Iranian officials, a diplomat close to the agency told
The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss
the closed-door meeting. Those talks would be a continuation of a
discussion held during an Aug. 11 visit to Tehran by Massimo Aparo,
a deputy to Grossi, the diplomat added.
Iran tries to downplay ‘snapback’ threat
In announcing the call, the IRNA report didn't mention the deadline
and instead appeared to suggest Iran's concerns would dominate the
discussion. Quoting Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, IRNA
said Araghchi “would discuss lifting of the unlawful sanctions” and
“the need for the involved parties to respond to criminal attacks
against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities.” Araghchi himself also
has sought to downplay the threat “snapback” poses.
The “snapback” power in the nuclear accord expires in October, also
putting pressure on the Europeans to potentially use it as leverage
with Iran before losing that ability.
Under “snapback,” any party to the deal can find Iran in
noncompliance, reimposing the sanctions. After it expires, any
sanctions effort could face a veto from U.N. Security Council
members China and Russia, two nations that have provided some
support to Iran in the past but stayed out of the June war.
___
Associated Press writer Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna
contributed to this report.
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