The European Council is reinstating a wide range of restrictive measures against Iran after the UN sanctions snapback triggered by France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The decision followed the Security Council’s refusal to extend the lifting of sanctions under Resolution 2231.
“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 said in a press release on Monday.
The statement confirmed that the restored measures include “both those adopted by the UN Security Council since 2006 with successive UNSC resolutions and automatically transposed into EU law, and EU autonomous measures.”
The sanctions target individuals and entities with travel bans and asset freezes, alongside prohibitions on making funds or economic resources available to them.
Economic and financial restrictions will again apply to trade, finance, and transport. “In addition to the arms export ban to Iran and the ban on transfer of any items, materials, goods and technology that could contribute to Iran’s enrichment-related and reprocessing activities and ballistic missile programs, the measures also include bans on imports, purchase and transport of crude oil, natural gas, petrochemical and petroleum products and related services,” the Council said.
The sanctions extend to “the sale or supply of key equipment used in the energy sector, the sale or supply of gold, other precious metals and diamonds, certain naval equipment, [and] a ban on certain software.”
Financial penalties include “the freezing of assets of the Central Bank of Iran and of major Iranian commercial banks,” the Council added.
Transport restrictions were also reinstated. “The EU is reinstating measures to prevent access to EU airports of Iranian cargo flights, and to prohibit the maintenance and service of Iranian cargo aircraft or vessels carrying prohibited materials or goods,” the Council noted.
Withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the possible pursuit of an atomic weapon will be examined by the parliament’s National Security Committee in coordination with other branches of the state, presidium spokesman Abbas Goudarzi said Monday.
“The snapback mechanism lacks legal standing; there is no JCPOA left for a mechanism to operate under.”
“The Islamic Republic has adhered to all its commitments while it is the United States and these European countries that breached theirs and did not respect any of their obligations,” Goudarzi added.
Iranian parliamentarians called Monday for expelling European ambassadors, suspending cooperation, and reviewing withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty following the reimposition of UN sanctions.
“The action of the three European countries against the Islamic Republic was hostile and against the provisions of the UN Security Council resolution,” National Security Committee member, Alaeddin Boroujerdi said.
“No reason exists for the presence of ambassadors from countries that act illegally and hostilely against the Iranian people.”
Boroujerdi proposed downgrading ties and halting cooperation, saying: “The foreign ministry should reduce relations to the level of chargé d’affaires, expel the ambassadors of these three countries from Iran, and suspend all cooperation, contacts, and economic exchanges because sanctions are a two-way road.”
Withdrawal from the NPT and pursuing nuclear weapons is being reviewed with the National Security Committee taking the lead in coordination with other state bodies, the parliament’s presidium spokesman Abbas Goudarzi also said on Monday.
“Nuclear activity will continue better than before and changes in cooperation with the IAEA are under discussion,” added another member of the security committee.
Iran’s parliament should withdraw ratification of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while leaving the government’s signature intact in response to the UN sanctions snapback, Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of ultra-conservative Kayhan daily wrote Monday.
“With this step the Islamic Republic accepts the spirit of the treaty, meaning no nuclear weapons production, but rejects safeguard obligations and inspections,” wrote the representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the newspaper.
"The snapback will not change Iran’s economy because sanctions never truly went away," Shariatmadari wrote, adding that "hostile actions must not go unanswered."
The failure of all the member of the UN Security Council to endorse the draft resolution extending Resolution 2231 exposed the dominance of one power and European compliance, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday.
“Nearly half of its members are unconvinced that the E3-triggered reimposition is justified, legitimate, or legal,” Baghaei wrote on X.
The council’s "divisions" showed six of 15 members withheld support despite US and European pressure, Baghaei said.
"Resolution 2231 will be deemed terminated on 18 October 2025, as explicitly provided in the resolution itself. Any attempt by the E3 or the United States to revive terminated sanctions is null and void. FM Araghchi has conveyed this message directly in letters to his counterparts worldwide."
