Japan calls for dialogue after UN sanctions hit Iran

“For nearly half a century, the front of arrogance has employed every kind of conspiracy and enmity against the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic,” Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei told the Supreme Judicial Council, using a phrase Iranian authorities employ to refer to Western powers.

He said economic siege was “nothing new” for Iranians, adding: “At this time, when enemies are focusing all efforts to bring down the Iranian nation and system, we must be vigilant that their agents do not infiltrate and damage national unity.”

“Those who through psychological operations weaken people’s spirit and spread fear will face legal measures,” he said, warning that profiteers or individuals disrupting essential goods markets “whether out of greed, negligence, or acting as enemy agents, will be dealt with decisively under the law.”

Earlier this month, Iran’s prosecutor general’s office warned that media and online outlets would also face legal action if their coverage of the reimposed UN sanctions undermines public morale.

Judiciary’s news outlet Mizan said some websites and channels had posted “sensitive content” about rising prices, adding that such reporting threatened the “psychological security of society.”

The judiciary has previously pursued cases against journalists and citizens over commentary on political and economic issues.

The return of UN sanctions carries more psychological than economic effects, Iranian lawmaker Hassan Qashqavi said Monday, urging media to avoid exaggeration and reduce hype around currency and gold prices.

“Right now the issue of suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency is on the agenda, and previously parliament had approved the suspension of cooperation with the agency,” Qashqavi said.

"The activation of the snapback mechanism by the three European countries was illegal and extortionist," Qashqavi said.

The recent 12-day conflict was a confrontation between the United States and the Islamic Republic, senior Revolutionary Guards adviser Mohammad Reza Naqdi said Monday.

“In the recent imposed war, America stood against Islamic Iran. The condition of being a Muslim is to stand against the tyrants, and the blood of the martyrs awakens nations and clarifies the path of truth in this world,” Naqdi said.

The June conflict was a war between the United States and Iran, Naqdi said, adding: “The enemy, through a wrong calculation, put Israel forward, but the resistance broke the equation.”

Israel is preparing for two months of heightened risk following the reimposition of UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic, Israel Hayom reported Monday.

“There is concern in that the Islamic Republic, like a ‘wounded animal,’ will misread Israel or try to lash out amid economic distress,” Israel Hayom wrote.

With the snapback clause in force and new economic restrictions marking the end of the nuclear accord, Israeli officials fear Tehran could miscalculate under pressure and initiate an attack, the newspaper said.

“Today, the Council agreed to reimpose a number of restrictive measures in relation to Iran's nuclear proliferation activities, that had then been suspended with the entry into force of the Joint Plan of Action (JCPOA or Iran nuclear deal) in 2015,” the Council of the EU said in a press release.

The decision followed the reintroduction of UN sanctions after the Security Council declined to extend relief, triggered on August 28 when France, Germany and the United Kingdom (the E3) said Iran was in “significant non-performance” of its commitments.

The Council said the measures include both UN Security Council sanctions adopted since 2006 and EU autonomous measures. They cover:

- Travel bans and asset freezes for listed individuals and entities, and a prohibition on providing funds or economic resources.

- Economic and financial sanctions, spanning trade, banking and transport.

- Trade restrictions, including bans on imports and transport of Iranian crude oil, natural gas, petrochemical and petroleum products; the sale of energy equipment, gold, precious metals, diamonds, certain naval equipment and software.

- Financial sector measures, including freezing assets of the Central Bank of Iran and major commercial banks.

- Transport restrictions, reinstating measures to bar Iranian cargo flights from EU airports and prohibit maintenance or servicing of Iranian cargo aircraft or vessels carrying prohibited materials.

The Council stressed these steps followed earlier commitments. “In October 2015 the Council adopted declaration 2015/C 345/01 lifting all EU nuclear-related sanctions in accordance with the JCPOA and stressing that the EU would reintroduce sanctions in case of significant non-performance by Iran,” it said.

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  E3 says Iran left no choice but to reimpose UN sanctions

E3 says Iran left no choice

On Sunday, the E3 foreign ministers said Tehran’s breaches had left no alternative. “We welcome the re-instatement since 20:00 EDT on 27 September of Resolutions 1696, 1737, 1747, 1803, 1835, and 1929 after completion of the snapback process,” they said. “We urge Iran and all states to abide fully by these resolutions.”

The ministers accused Iran of “exceeding all limits on its nuclear program” since 2019, noting it held enriched uranium “48 times the JCPOA limit” and at least 10 significant quantities of highly enriched uranium outside of monitoring. “Iran has no credible civilian justification whatsoever for its HEU stockpile,” they said.

They insisted diplomacy remained possible. “The reimposition of UN sanctions is not the end of diplomacy. We urge Iran to refrain from any escalatory action and to return to compliance with its legally binding safeguards obligations.”

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  Tehran says no obligation to comply with revived UN resolutions

Tehran says no obligation to comply

Iran rejected the move outright. “The Islamic Republic of Iran rejects the claim of the three European countries and the United States regarding the return of previous resolutions that ended under Resolution 2231 in 2015, and emphasizes that no obligation is created for UN member states, including Iran,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

It added: “Any attempt to revive terminated resolutions is legally baseless, morally unacceptable and logically flawed.”

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi separately wrote to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Security Council President Sang Jin Kim, saying the alleged return of sanctions was “null and void.”

He urged them “to prevent any attempt to revive the sanctions mechanisms, including the Sanctions Committee and the Panel of Experts.”

Araghchi accused the Europeans of “defaulting on their commitments, misusing the JCPOA dispute settlement process, and even justifying military attacks against safeguarded nuclear facilities in Iran.”

Tehran said all nuclear-related restrictions under Resolution 2231 must expire on October 18, 2025. “Iran will not recognize any effort to extend, revive or enforce them after that,” the ministry said.