New York (dpa) – Just under a decade after the historic nuclear agreement with Iran, UN sanctions against the country have come into force once again. The deadline for an agreement between Tehran and the other parties in the negotiations—Germany, the UK and France—expired on Saturday night.
The punitive measures which are once again in force include a universal arms embargo, a ban on further uranium enrichment, and a raft of sanctions freezing funds belonging to individuals and organisations. Iran had announced a harsh reaction if the measures were reintroduced.
Germany, France and the UK activated the so-called “snapback” mechanism in late August, which triggered the reintroduction of the sanctions in place before the 2015 nuclear agreement if Iran failed to comply with its obligations. Along with the three European nations, the deal was co-signed by the USA, Russia and China; it is considered a diplomatic milestone.
“We urge Iran to refrain from any escalatory action and to return to compliance with its legally binding safeguards obligations,” the Foreign Ministers of Germany, France and the UK said in an announcement overnight. The three countries are known as the “E3” group. “The reimposition of UN sanctions is not the end of diplomacy.”
