France, Britain, and Germany issued a joint warning to Iran on Saturday after the United Nations reinstated sweeping sanctions on Tehran, calling on the Islamic Republic to avoid escalation and return to compliance with international nuclear obligations.
The announcement followed the expiration of last-minute negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. The three European powers, collectively known as the E3, stressed that diplomacy remains possible despite the renewed measures. “The reimposition of UN sanctions is not the end of diplomacy,” the foreign ministers said, urging Tehran to “refrain from any escalatory action and to return to compliance with its legally binding safeguards obligations.”
The US State Department confirmed that the sanctions were reactivated at 8 p.m. EDT on September 27 under the snapback mechanism. The restored resolutions — 1696, 1737, 1747, 1803, 1835, and 1929 — had been suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal. Their reinstatement followed what Washington described as Iran’s “significant non-performance” of its commitments.
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According to the State Department, the measures once again require Iran to suspend uranium enrichment and related activities, ban the use of ballistic missile technology, halt arms imports, and impose travel and asset restrictions on designated individuals. They also authorize the interception of weapons shipments linked to Tehran. Officials described the move as a “decisive act of global leadership” by the E3, reaffirmed by two UN Security Council votes earlier this month.
President Trump, while endorsing the sanctions, reiterated that negotiations remain the preferred path. “A deal remains the best outcome for the Iranian people and the world,” he said, adding that Tehran must engage in direct talks “in good faith” or face continued international pressure.
Iran reacted sharply. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres insisting that the snapback mechanism has “no legal basis.” He wrote that the resolutions were annulled and cannot be revived and warned all countries against recognizing “this illegal situation.”
Araghchi argued that Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June had altered the context, rendering the resolutions “obsolete and irrelevant.” He declared that Tehran would not recognize the restored restrictions, insisting they expire on October 18, and vowed that “any action aimed at undermining the rights and interests of its people will face a firm and appropriate response.”