UNITED NATIONS: The UN has reinstated an arms embargo and sweeping sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, after Britain, France and Germany triggered a snapback process accusing Tehran of violating the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons and warned the move would be met with a “harsh response.”
The sanctions—originally imposed between 2006 and 2010—were automatically reactivated at midnight GMT on Sunday after efforts to delay the process failed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. They include a ban on arms sales to Iran, restrictions on uranium enrichment and ballistic missile development, travel bans on dozens of officials, asset freezes, and prohibitions on supplying dual-use technology.
“We urge Iran and all states to abide fully by these resolutions,” the foreign ministers of France, Britain and Germany said in a joint statement. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirmed the bloc would “implement the re-imposition of all previously lifted UN and EU nuclear-related sanctions without delay.”
Israel welcomed the move, calling it a “major development” and reiterating its goal of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.
The sanctions come amid heightened regional tensions, only months after U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted Iranian nuclear sites. The Iranian rial plunged to a record low of 1.12 million per U.S. dollar on the black market following the announcement, deepening the country’s economic woes.
