Sweeping United Nations economic and military sanctions have been reimposed on Iran, 10 years after they were lifted under the 2015 nuclear accord.
The move came after the UK, France, and Germany activated the “snapback” mechanism, accusing Tehran of “continued nuclear escalation” and refusing to cooperate with international inspections.
Iran suspended inspections of its nuclear facilities earlier this year, a violation of the deal, after Israel and the United States carried out strikes on several nuclear sites and military bases. President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected Western accusations, insisting Iran has “no intention” of developing nuclear weapons and denouncing the sanctions as “unfair, unjust, and illegal.”
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was designed to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment, cap its research, and reduce nuclear stockpiles while allowing civilian nuclear energy development. But the deal has steadily unraveled since Donald Trump withdrew the US from the accord in 2016, branding it “deeply flawed” and vowing to secure tougher terms.
Tensions surged further in June when US and Israeli strikes targeted Iranian facilities. Washington claimed the operations caused “monumental damage,” though analysts have questioned the impact. Tehran, however, said the attacks had “fundamentally changed the situation” and rendered the nuclear deal “obsolete.”
Despite triggering sanctions, European allies have left the door open to talks. In a joint statement, the so-called E3 urged Tehran to “refrain from escalation,” stressing: “The reimposition of UN sanctions is not the end of diplomacy.”
Talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week failed to produce a compromise that could have delayed sanctions. The E3 foreign ministers said they had “no choice” but to act, citing Iran’s repeated breaches and refusal to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The sanctions snapback highlights the collapse of one of the most ambitious diplomatic efforts of the past decade, leaving open the question of whether diplomacy can still prevent Iran’s nuclear ambitions from spiraling into broader conflict.
Africa Digital News, New York
