The United Nations has reinstated sweeping economic and military sanctions on Iran, a decade after they were lifted under the landmark 2015 nuclear accord. The move comes as the UK, France, and Germany known as the E3 activated the snapback mechanism, accusing Tehran of repeated nuclear breaches and non-cooperation.
Iran suspended international inspections of its nuclear sites after joint US-Israeli airstrikes targeted several facilities in June. President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the renewed sanctions as “unfair, unjust, and illegal,” insisting that Iran has “no intention of developing nuclear weapons.”
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015, was designed to limit Iran’s nuclear enrichment and stockpiling while allowing peaceful nuclear energy development. But the deal has steadily unravelled since former US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018, escalating tensions and prompting Iran to step up enrichment.
The E3 foreign ministers said they had “no choice” but to act, citing Tehran’s refusal to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and failure to account for its enriched uranium stockpile. While IAEA inspections have now resumed, Western powers remain unconvinced by Iran’s assurances.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the sanctions, warning of a “firm and appropriate response” to any attempt to undermine its sovereignty. Pezeshkian has hinted at jeopardised negotiations unless Israel provides assurances against further strikes.
Israel welcomed the move, calling it a “major step to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”