New Delhi, Sept 28: UN economic and military sanctions have been reimposed on Iran, 10 years after they were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, the BBC reported. The move came after the UK, France and Germany, the three European signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), triggered “snapback” mechanism, accusing Tehran of “continued nuclear escalation” and failure to cooperate, reports BBC.
Iran suspended mandatory inspections of its nuclear facilities after US and Israeli air strikes in June damaged several nuclear sites and military bases. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that inspections have since resumed.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected the new measures as “unfair, unjust and illegal.” Speaking last week, he insisted Iran had “no intention of developing nuclear weapons,” but warned that the return of sanctions would jeopardise future talks. He also dismissed a reported US proposal to hand over enriched uranium in exchange for a three-month sanctions’ exemption, saying: “Why would we put ourselves in such a trap and have a noose around our neck each month?”
The E3 foreign ministers said in a joint statement that they had “no choice” but to act, citing Tehran’s refusal to allow inspectors full access and to account for its enriched uranium stockpile. “We urge Iran to refrain from any escalatory action. The reimposition of UN sanctions is not the end of diplomacy,” they added. Iran’s foreign ministry countered that it did not recognise the “illegal” and “unjustifiable” measures, warning that “any action aimed at undermining the rights and interests of its people will face a firm and appropriate response,” reports BBC.
The JCPOA, signed in 2015, was designed to limit Iran’s nuclear activities while allowing peaceful energy development. The deal unravelled after Donald Trump withdrew the US in 2016, imposing unilateral sanctions and later supporting Israeli strikes against Iran’s facilities.
While Washington said those attacks caused “monumental damage,” experts cited by the BBC questioned whether they meaningfully slowed Tehran’s programme.
European powers have expressed hope that renewed diplomacy can still avert escalation but acknowledge that the sanctions mark another severe blow to the already fragile nuclear accord.
