EU Reinstates Set of Sanctions on Iran

(MENAFN) The Council of the European Union declared on Monday that it was reinstating a wide array of sanctions against Iran, blaming Tehran for not meeting its nuclear commitments under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The re-imposed measures include travel bans, asset freezes, and restrictions on sectors such as trade, finance, and transport. Additionally, Iran will face renewed prohibitions on oil, gas, and petrochemical imports, as well as limitations on energy-sector equipment supplies and precious metals. Restrictions will also impact Iranian banks and cargo flights.

This EU decision comes in the wake of the restoration of UN sanctions, after Britain, France, and Germany (the E3) activated the "snapback" mechanism on August 28. According to the procedure, unless the UN Security Council votes to extend sanctions relief, pre-2015 UN sanctions automatically resume after 30 days.

On Friday, the UN Security Council failed to pass a resolution that would have extended the nuclear deal between Iran and six major world powers—Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States—as well as Security Council Resolution 2231, which supported the agreement.

Commenting on the vote, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, expressed deep disappointment over the outcome, emphasizing that only dialogue and diplomacy could resolve the Iranian nuclear issue and safeguard peace in the Middle East.

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi dismissed the snapback procedure invoked by the E3 and the United States, calling it "null and void." Araghchi pointed to the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 and the European nations' failure to uphold their obligations as the reasons for Iran's stance.

He reiterated that Iran would continue to protect its sovereign rights and legitimate interests but remained open to "genuine negotiations on an equal footing."

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