EU Reactivates Set of Sanctions on Iran

(MENAFN) The European Union Council on Monday reintroduced a set of sanctions on Iran in response to its nuclear activities, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program.

This action followed the UN Security Council's rejection of a draft resolution, proposed by China and Russia, which sought to postpone the reinstatement of sanctions and extend the terms of the nuclear deal for another six months. With the resolution failing to pass, sanctions that had been lifted under the agreement were automatically reinstated.

The restored sanctions include travel bans and asset freezes targeting both individuals and entities connected to Iran’s nuclear proliferation efforts. Financial and economic prohibitions also apply, with restrictions once again impacting the country’s trade, banking, and transport sectors.

Among the newly reimposed trade restrictions, the EU has banned the import, purchase, and transport of Iranian crude oil, natural gas, and petrochemical products, alongside prohibiting related services. The measures also extend to the sale or supply of vital energy equipment, precious metals like gold and diamonds, certain naval items, and specialized software.

Furthermore, the EU has re-frozen the assets of the Central Bank of Iran and several major Iranian banks. Transportation-related measures have also been reinstated, preventing Iranian cargo flights from accessing EU airports and limiting the maintenance of Iranian aircraft and vessels carrying prohibited goods.

Despite these escalatory steps, both European and U.S. diplomats have continued to press Iran to return to negotiations aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 agreement designed to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief, has been at the heart of these tensions. On August 28, France, Germany, and the UK informed the UN that Iran was in "significant" violation of its commitments under the deal, triggering the potential for a snapback of sanctions. The following day, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, along with France and Germany, formally recommended the reimplementation of sanctions.

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