Iran sanctions look set to return even as nuclear inspections resume

Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, addresses an Atomic Energy Agency event in Austria, earlier this month. The agency has resumed inspections of Iranian nuclear sites. Photo / Getty Images

Deep sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme look set to go into force once again, even as a UN watchdog confirmed Saturday inspections of its atomic sites had resumed.

Russia failed in an effort with Beijing on Friday to delay the reimposition of the measures on Tehran, with Moscow raising the prospect that it may not enforce the sanctions – despite being required to under international law.

European powers triggered the process to reimpose economic sanctions after demanding Iran reverse a series of steps it took after Israel and the United States bombed its nuclear sites in June.

The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, confirmed Saturday that inspections of Iranian nuclear sites had resumed this week after a hiatus following Washington and Israel’s strikes.

Resumption of the agency’s inspections was a key measure demanded by the Europeans – Britain, France and Germany.

“I signed an agreement with the agency in Cairo and the director general of the agency is quite satisfied and happy,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

Araghchi has insisted any effort to reimpose sanctions is “legally void”, vowing never to “bow to pressure” on its nuclear programme – but left the door open to more talks.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday that Tehran would not leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in retaliation to sanctions being reimposed.

China and Russia’s effort to buy time for diplomacy was rejected by nine countries against and four in favour.

“UN sanctions, targeting Iranian proliferation, will be reimposed this weekend,” said Britain’s ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward.

“We stand ready to continue discussions with Iran on a diplomatic solution to address international concerns about its nuclear program. In turn, this could allow for the lifting of sanctions in the future.”

The UN sanctions, notably on Iran’s banking and oil sectors, are set to take effect automatically at the end of Saturday.

China and Russia at the Security Council session on Friday pushed a resolution that would have extended talks until April 18, 2026.

“We had hoped that us, that European colleagues in the US, would think twice, and that they would opt for the path of diplomacy and dialogue, instead of their clumsy blackmail,” the Russian deputy ambassador to the UN told the council before the vote.

“Did Washington, London, Paris, Berlin make any compromises? No, they did not.”

‘Several workable solutions’

France’s ambassador to the UN Jerome Bonnafort told the council all sides had been “trying to find, until the very last moment, a solution”.

France – speaking for itself, Germany, and Britain – has told Iran it must allow full access to UN nuclear inspectors, immediately resume nuclear negotiations, and offer transparency on highly enriched uranium, the whereabouts of which has been the subject of speculation.

The European nations “and the US have consistently misrepresented Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme”, said Araghchi, who insisted Tehran had put forward “several workable” proposals.

The European countries’ “pursuit of the so-called ‘snapback’ is... legally void, politically reckless and procedurally flawed”, he said.

The 2015 deal, negotiated while Barack Obama was US President, lifted sanctions in return for Iran drastically scaling back its controversial nuclear work.

US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in his first term and imposed sweeping unilateral US sanctions, while pushing the Europeans to do likewise.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s roving envoy who had been negotiating with Iran until Israel attacked, said Wednesday that Iran was in a “tough position” but also held out hope for a solution.

But Iran’s President was withering in his assessment of Washington’s diplomatic efforts, claiming Witkoff and his team were not serious.

“We came to understandings a number of times but they were never taken seriously by the Americans,” Pezeshkian told reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Iran has long contended it is not seeking nuclear weapons, pointing to an edict by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and US intelligence has not concluded the country has decided to build a nuclear weapon.

– Agence France-Presse