France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have issued a stark ultimatum: Iran must show significant progress on a nuclear deal by the end of August, or they will push to restore stringent UN sanctions, European diplomats revealed Tuesday.

The warning came after a meeting of the three nations' UN ambassadors at Germany's UN Mission, where they discussed the faltering prospects of a nuclear agreement with Iran. The issue also surfaced in a Monday phone call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of the three countries, US officials confirmed. The State Department emphasized their shared goal of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The diplomats and officials spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.

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The 2015 nuclear deal, which curbed Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, included a "snapback" mechanism allowing Western signatories to reimpose UN sanctions if Iran violates its terms. The US, under former President Donald Trump, withdrew from the agreement in 2018, calling it insufficiently tough.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot underscored the urgency in Brussels, stating, “If Iran does not provide clear, verifiable commitments, we will trigger sanctions by August’s end,” according to Reuters. A diplomat confirmed this stance to The Associated Press.

Details of the proposed deal remain undisclosed. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently indicated Tehran’s willingness to resume talks with the US, but only with guarantees against further attacks following recent US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. “These attacks have complicated negotiations,” Araghchi told CBS on July 2, stressing that diplomacy remains open but challenging.

Negotiations between the US and Iran, paused after Israeli strikes in June, have yet to resume despite Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, signaling talks could restart soon. Iran’s UN Mission declined to comment on the sanctions threat.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reported extensive damage to nuclear facilities from US airstrikes, hindering access for damage assessments. Iran has also halted cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, raising further concerns.

With the clock ticking, the international community watches closely as Iran’s nuclear ambitions hang in the balance.

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