The United Kingdom, France, and Germany are expected to initiate a process on Thursday to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran through the so-called "snapback mechanism," European officials told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
Once announced, a 30-day period will go into effect during which the mechanism can be halted. If it is not stopped, all sanctions imposed on Iran in 2015 will be reinstated.
European nations are demanding that Iran resume negotiations for a new nuclear agreement and grant access to all nuclear sites, including uranium stockpiles damaged during the war with Israel.
Deputy foreign ministers from Germany, France, and the UK met with Iran's deputy foreign minister on Tuesday.
The meeting yielded no significant progress, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"The Iranians make promises and declarations but fail to deliver anything substantial that could delay the snapback process," the source said.
Iran's Foreign Ministry stated after the meeting: "Iran remains committed to diplomacy and a mutually beneficial diplomatic solution. It is high time for the E3 and the UN Security Council to make the right choice and give diplomacy time and space."
According to a source familiar with the matter, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and the UK, along with the EU's Foreign Affairs Chief, Kaja Kallas, held discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Inspecting Iran's nuclear facilities
This week, a first group of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived in Iran.
Iran's news agency reported that the inspectors visited the civilian nuclear reactor in Bushehr. A source familiar with the matter told the Post that Iran is currently refusing access to sites damaged in the conflict with Israel.
As a first step, if an agreement is reached between the IAEA and Iran, inspectors will be allowed to visit undamaged nuclear sites.
"Progress has been made on oversight discussions. Some issues remain unresolved and are still under discussion. Inspections are expected to resume at the agreed-upon sites," a source familiar with the negotiations told the Post.