Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the U.K. have agreed to treat the end of August as a de facto deadline for reaching a new nuclear agreement with Iran, according to a report by Axios. If talks stall beyond that point, the European powers plan to trigger the UN “snapback” mechanism, reinstating sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. This maneuver takes 30 days and is intended to be completed before Russia assumes the UN Security Council presidency in October.

The snapback clause is being used both as diplomatic leverage and as a fallback option should Iran refuse to cooperate. Iran has responded aggressively, warning it could withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if sanctions are reimposed, claiming such action has no legal basis. Rubio and his European counterparts have agreed to push Iran diplomatically in the coming weeks, telling Tehran that sanctions can be avoided if it provides reassurances on its nuclear activities.

The effort comes amid a renewed U.S. push—under President Donald Trump—to revive nuclear talks following a pause in hostilities between Iran and Israel. European and Israeli officials had feared the Trump administration might block the snapback effort, but during a recent White House meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu received assurances that the U.S. would not stand in the way.

President Trump claimed Israeli agents confirmed that U.S. airstrikes had “totally obliterated” Iran’s Fordow facility, warning Iran against resuming uranium enrichment. He compared the strikes’ effectiveness to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Meanwhile, intelligence agencies are assessing the damage. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Iran’s nuclear program suffered significant setbacks, while leaked DIA reports with “low confidence” suggested a shorter-term impact. The Pentagon and FBI are investigating the leak, with potential criminal charges expected.