UN sanctions on Iran were reimposed on 28 September 2025, according to the BBC. The sanctions had been reimposed after ten years and are linked to Iran’s nuclear programme.
On 26 September, Russia and China introduced a draft resolution in the Security Council to postpone sanctions by six months, which did not pass. Four supported it, nine opposed, and two abstained. The mechanism for restarting restrictions was thus automatically triggered.
Iran has been under sanctions since 2006 for suspected nuclear weapons development and was reinforced multiple times. In 2015, the JCPOA was reached, by which Tehran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. International limits were officially removed in January 2016.
The United Kingdom, Germany and France, in August 2025, initiated the process of restoring them, accusing Iran of ‘systematic and substantial non-compliance’ with the 2015 deal. The European countries assert that Tehran has significantly expanded its uranium enrichment program during recent years and restricted international inspectors’ access to locations.
The situation was further exacerbated by the events of June 2025, when Israel, with the backing of the United States, launched a series of bombardments on Iranian nuclear facilities. The actions provoked a severe reaction from Tehran. The bombings led to the cancellation of cooperation between the authorities of the country and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which only increased the alarms of the international community.
