Wadephul: Europe in a strong position on Iran
According to Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Europe has “a fairly strong hand” in any potential continuation of nuclear talks with Iran.
Berlin (dpa) – German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (pictured) believes Europe is well positioned for potential negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programme. “We’ve got a fairly strong hand,” Wadephul said on ZDF television. The Europeans could trigger sanctions against Tehran using the so-called snapback mechanism. “We’ve got a real trump card. Washington knows it, and we’ll use it in a coordinated way.” The aim, he said, remained to reach a negotiated solution.
The 2015 Vienna Agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme – although no longer applied in practice – formally expires in October 2025. Until then, the European signatories still have the option of reactivating earlier, stricter UN sanctions against Iran via the snapback mechanism – without major resistance. This means that European governments, even if they are not directly negotiating with Iran at the table, still retain an important lever of pressure.
Wadephul emphasized that he was in contact with both the US and his Iranian counterpart. The so-called E3 – Germany, France and the UK – are, he said, “the ones talking to the Iranians” and maintaining contacts.