The United Nations Security Council today will reinstate via “snapback” all of the U.N. sanctions formerly lifted under the 2015 Iran nuclear accord. This trigger comes from Germany, France, and the UK — the very powers that engineered the 2015 deal — and now they are extinguishing the final diplomatic exit ramp, consolidating a trajectory toward confrontation.
As I suggested when the E3 first activated the snapback mechanism, this is no longer about Iran’s nuclear program; it is an EU stratagem to corral the U.S. into alignment over Ukraine:
Iran’s deepening partnership with Russia in the Ukraine war has recast it, in Europe’s eyes, as a direct threat. The EU’s economic ties to Tehran are negligible after years of sanctions. Meanwhile, Europe’s reliance on the transatlantic relationship—military, political and economic—is far greater than it was in 2003.
In this context, escalation with Iran serves two European objectives. First, it punishes Tehran for aligning with Moscow, sending a message that supporting Russia comes with heavy costs. Second, it aligns Europe with hawkish elements of the Trump administration, at a time when transatlantic relations are under historic strain. For European leaders desperate to maintain American goodwill, Iran has become a convenient sacrificial offering.
Read HERE the full article by Responsible Statecraft
