The United Nations has reinstated a sweeping arms embargo and other sanctions on Iran after European powers triggered a mechanism accusing Tehran of violating its 2015 nuclear deal obligations, a move that has sparked sharp warnings from Iran and drawn mixed reactions worldwide.
The sanctions, first imposed between 2006 and 2010, automatically returned at midnight GMT on Sunday after Britain, France, and Germany initiated the process at the Security Council.
The measures include a ban on uranium enrichment, restrictions on ballistic missile activity, travel bans and asset freezes on dozens of Iranian officials, and an arms embargo empowering countries to seize banned items linked to nuclear activity.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the three European powers urged Tehran to comply: “We urge Iran and all states to abide fully by these resolutions.” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc would move “without delay” to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 accord.
The decision marks the formal collapse of the landmark nuclear pact, which Iran signed with world powers to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
The deal had already frayed after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned it in 2018, and tensions escalated this year after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Israel welcomed the U.N.’s move as a “major development” against what it called Tehran’s ongoing violations. “The goal is clear: prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. The world must use every tool to achieve this goal,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on X.
Iran, however, condemned the sanctions and recalled its ambassadors to London, Paris, and Berlin for consultations. President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted Tehran remained within the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but warned of a “harsh response.”
Russia rejected the sanctions as illegitimate, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calling them “unlawful” and warning Secretary-General António Guterres against endorsing them.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained open to diplomacy, stressing that “a deal remains the best outcome for the Iranian people and the world.” But he urged countries to implement sanctions immediately to pressure Iran’s leaders.
Meanwhile, Iran’s economy reeled under the renewed measures. The rial sank to a record low of 1,123,000 per U.S. dollar on Saturday, extending its sharp decline amid fears of deepening isolation.
Despite the sanctions snapback, European powers said diplomacy was not over.
“The reimposition of U.N. sanctions is not the end of diplomacy,” they said, adding they remained willing to explore a long-term deal if Iran restored access for U.N. inspectors and addressed concerns over its enriched uranium stockpile.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
