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European Powers Warn Iran Against 'Escalatory' Acts As Snapback Sanctions Take Force

By RFE/RL September 28, 2025

The UN has officially reimposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, further pressuring the Middle East nation that is already suffering global isolation and economic turmoil following previous rounds of punitive measures by the West.

At midnight GMT heading into September 28, Britain, France, and German -- the European 3 (E3) forces leading the move -- announced that the so-called snapback sanctions had been reimposed on Iran.

The E3 immediately warned Tehran against any "escalatory" steps in reaction to the move and urged the Islamic republic to return to negotiations, particularly with the United Staes.

"The reimposition of UN sanctions is not the end of diplomacy," the foreign ministers of the E3 said in a joint statement.

"We urge Iran to refrain from any escalatory action and to return to compliance with its legally binding safeguards obligations," the statement added.

It recounted that "in July 2025, we offered Iran a limited, one-time snapback extension provided that Iran agreed to resume direct and unconditional negotiations with the United States, return to compliance with its legally binding safeguards obligations, and address its high enriched uranium stockpile."

"Regrettably, Iran did not take the necessary actions to address our concerns, nor to meet our asks on extension.... In particular, Iran has not authorized IAEA inspectors to regain access to Iran's nuclear sites, nor has it produced and transmitted to the IAEA a report accounting for its stockpile of high-enriched uranium."

Rubio Urges UN Members To Take Action

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged UN member states "to implement snapback sanctions immediately in order to pressure Iran's leaders to do what is right for their nation and best for the safety of the world."

He also called on Iran to "accept direct talks, held in good faith, without stalling or obfuscation."

Tehran has blasted the E3 move to reimpose the sanctions, calling it "unlawful."

On September 26, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told the UN Security Council that the "pursuit of the so-called 'snapback' is...legally void, politically reckless, and procedurally flawed."

He said Tehran will "never bow" to pressure on its nuclear program, which it says is strictly for civilian purposes, and insisted the country is not seeking nuclear weapons.

Still, he left open the door for further talks, saying, "Diplomacy never dies."

Just ahead of the midnight GMT deadline, Iran recalled its ambassadors to Britain, France, and Germany for consultations following what it called the "irresponsible move" by the three permanent UN Security Council members.

The European powers had triggered a 30-day countdown to the reimposition of sanctions by accusing Iran of violating a 2015 deal aimed to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. The sanctions had been lifted as part of the deal.

"This council does not have the necessary assurance that there is a clear path to a swift diplomatic solution," Barbara Woodward, Britain's ambassador to the UN, said on September 26.

"UN sanctions, targeting Iranian proliferation, will be reimposed this weekend," she added.

Bid For Delay By Russia, China Fails

A last-minute bid by Russia and China to delay the snapback sanctions by six months failed in the Security Council on September 26. The snapback measures were designed in a way that would prevent vetoes by Russia and China, permanent members of the Security Council.

The punitive actions include a conventional arms embargo, restrictions on activities related to ballistic missiles, a ban on reprocessing and enrichment of uranium, a global asset freeze, and travel bans on Iranian individuals and entities.

In comments to reporters after the failed move by Moscow and Beijing to delay the sanctions, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian said his country was prepared to be "transparent about our highly enriched uranium." But he added that the "wall of mistrust" between Tehran and Washington is "quite high."

On September 27, Pezeshkian claimed the United States had offered Iran an "unacceptable" deal to hand over all its enriched uranium in exchange for a three-month exemption from sanctions.

"They want us to give them all of our enriched uranium in exchange for giving us a three-month period, which is absolutely unacceptable," said Pezeshkian, who is considered to be a moderate by many observers but with little power over the clerics who have ultimate authority.

The new penalties will come on top of existing sanctions against Tehran that have severely crippled the economy and at times led to street unrest in Iranian cities.

Iranian officials have attempted to downplay the impact of the return of UN sanctions, but experts said they would hit Iran hard, weakening the currency and leading to price hikes for food supplies, including for meat, rice, and other staples.

Along with concerns about the potential for an Iranian nuclear weapon, Western leaders and rights groups have for decades accused Tehran of human rights violations and of fomenting extremist action in the Middle East -- which Tehran denies.

With reporting by RFE/Rl's Radio Farda, Reuters, AFP, and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-snapback-sanctions- european-e3-un-nuclear/33543002.html

Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.