ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated:

Reimposing international sanctions will only make the situation over Iran's nuclear issue more complex, Iranian deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Tuesday, according to state media, ahead of a meeting on Friday with three European states.

The so-called E3 - Britain, France and Germany - have warned they will invoke the United Nations snapback mechanism to reimpose international sanctions on the Islamic Republic if no progress is reached by end of August over Iran's nuclear program.

The E3 have said that if no progress is reached by the end of August over Iran's nuclear program, they will invoke a "snapback" mechanism - a process that would reimpose U.N. sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under a 2015 deal in return for restrictions on Iran's nuclear program

"We will express our position regarding the E3's comments on the snapback mechanism, which we think lacks any legal ground," Gharibabadi said, referring to Friday's meeting in Istanbul.

"Nonetheless, our effort will be to see if we can find common solutions to manage the situation."

Iran's plans to continue nuclear enrichment

Gharibabadi's comments came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News on Monday that Tehran cannot give up on its nuclear enrichment program despite “serious damage” to its nuclear facilities.

A satellite view shows an overview of Fordow underground complex, after the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran June 22, 2025.
A satellite view shows an overview of Fordow underground complex, after the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran June 22, 2025. (credit: Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS )

“Our facilities have been damaged, seriously damaged. The extent of which is now under evaluation by our automechanical organization. But as far as I know, they are seriously damaged,” Araghchi said when asked of the extent of the damage to the nuclear enrichment program after the attacks by Israel and the US.

Recently, a US assessment found that US strikes in June mostly destroyed one of three targeted Iranian nuclear sites, but the other two were not as badly damaged, NBC News reported.
The report said that US officials believe the attack on Iran's Fordow nuclear facility was successful in setting back enrichment capabilities there by as much as two years, citing two current officials.

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.