Berlin, March 14, 2025

The Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin (MFFB) is today publishing a policy paper with an urgent appeal to German politicians to activate the snapback mechanism of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) without delay. The window of opportunity for reinstating comprehensive UN sanctions against the Iranian regime will close at the end of July 2025. After that, effective sanctioning by the UN Security Council would hardly be possible due to the expected vetoes of Russia and China.

Based on the latest reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is clear that Iran is on the verge of completing nuclear weapons. The regime already has significant quantities of highly enriched uranium and ballistic missiles that could potentially be equipped with nuclear warheads. Should Tehran acquire nuclear weapons, there is a risk of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East with far-reaching security consequences for Israel, Europe and the world.

“The time to act is now. Activating the snapback mechanism is the last non-military option to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program,” emphasizes Michael Spaney, Executive Director of the MFFB. Previous diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to comply with the JCPOA have failed. Renewed maximum sanctions pressure is necessary to persuade the regime in Tehran to back down. If the snapback is triggered, Germany would not be alone. On Wednesday, the UK's Deputy UN Ambassador James Kariuki made it clear that his country could also be prepared to take such a course of action.

As a party to the JCPOA, Germany has the option of triggering the snapback mechanism. The MFFB's policy paper emphasizes that the German government must take strategic responsibility and immediately initiate diplomatic steps to activate the mechanism. Only in this way can Germany protect its security interests, make an important contribution to Israel's security, and contribute to the stability of the international order.

Link to the policy paper: https://www.mideastfreedomforum.org/fileadmin/editors_de/Artikel/Policy_Paper/MFFB_Policy_Paper_Snapback_Iran_en.pdf