Iran faces return of sweeping sanctions from UK, France and Germany

"The UK, France and Germany are expected to announce on Thursday that they will reimpose sweeping sanctions on Iran for failing to readmit UN inspectors into all of its nuclear sites. The decision, under consideration for months, is likely to provoke the worst crisis in Iran's relations with the west since Israel's attacks on the country's nuclear sites in June."

"The planned reimposition of the sanctions, contained in six suspended UN resolutions, will start on 18 October when the original nuclear deal signed in 2015 expires. Return of UN nuclear inspectors to Iran met with protests by MPs The move by the three European powers known as the E3 cannot be vetoed by permanent members of the UN security council such as Russia and China."

"The E3 is demanding Iran fully readmit inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Europe also wants details on what happened to the estimated 400kg stockpile of Iran's highly enriched uranium after Israel's attacks in June. Confirmation of the partial return of IAEA inspectors on Wednesday was met with protests by officials in Tehran, who claim the strict preconditions they set have been breached."

"The European countries still hope the expected formal notification to the UN that they are triggering the snapback of the sanctions will provoke Iranian concessions and further diplomacy. Once the E3 diplomats start the process on Thursday, they have just over 30 days to press ahead or to defer the snapback, likely for six months. Negotiations may also occur at the UN over the future terms for lifting the sanctions once they have been reimposed."

UK, France and Germany plan to reimpose sweeping sanctions on Iran for failing to readmit UN nuclear inspectors to all sites. The sanctions, contained in six suspended UN Security Council resolutions, would resume on 18 October when the 2015 nuclear deal expires. The E3 demands full IAEA access and explanations for the estimated 400kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium after Israel's June attacks. Partial return of inspectors provoked protests in Tehran, which claims preconditions were breached and warns of countermeasures. Europe hopes snapback notification will prompt concessions and diplomacy; Russia proposed a six-month delay but lacks votes.

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