UN Security Council moves to impose “snapback” sanctions on Iran

Axios-Sept20th2025

By Barak Ravid

The UN Security Council decided on Friday to implement the “snapback” provision of the Iran nuclear deal, reimposing sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 agreement.

Why it matters: Iran will face even stiffer economic pressure, meanwhile international inspectors won’t be able to monitor its nuclear material and facilities.

• The Iranians are expected to respond by curtailing their cooperation with the International Atomic Energy agency (IAEA) and possibly withdrawing from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).
• The sanctions will formally come into effect on September 27 at 8pm.

Driving the news: The vote took place less than a month after the U.K., France and Germany triggered the snapback mechanism, which was due to expire at the end of October under the terms of the deal.

• The U.S., U.K, and France pressed South Korea, which holds the Security Council’s rotating chair, to convene the vote on Friday, before the UN General Assembly high-level week starts on Monday, European diplomats and U.S. officials said.
• The resolution that was brought to a vote actually called for the continuation of sanctions relief for Iran under the deal, and the U.S., France and U.K. voted against and effectively vetoed it.
• As a result, UN sanctions against Iran will be reinstated.

What they are saying: The Iranian ambassador to the UN said after the vote that snapback move was illegal and unjustified and warned that Iran maintains the right to respond.

• At the same time, he said the vote does not close the door for diplomacy and added that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will his French, german and British counterparts in New York next week.
• Iran has long argued it’s illegitimate for it to be punished under the terms of a deal Washington abandoned in 2018, particularly since the U.S. bombed Iran in June in the middle of nuclear negotiations.

The other side: Ambassador Dorothy Shea, the acting U.S. representative to the UN, said the U.S. had voted in support of “snapback” because Iran has violated the 2015 nuclear deal and hasn’t agreed to the European demands regarding the nuclear program.

• “However, to be absolutely clear: our vote on this resolution does not impede the possibility of real diplomacy, despite any statements to the contrary,” Shea said, stressing the UN sanctions could be removed again in the future through diplomacy.
• Shea added that the U.S. is ready “for meaningful, direct, and time-bound dialogue with Iran — be it prior to the conclusion of the snapback process on September 27, or after.”

Behind the scenes: Earlier this week, Iran sent the E3 — France, Germany and the U.K. — a new proposal to extend the snapback deadline by several months in return for Iranian steps on its nuclear program and the resumption of negotiations with the U.S.

• According to the Iranian proposal, the subject of talks with the U.S. would be the stockpile of 60% enriched uranium that was buried in the nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the U.S. — specifically how to remove it from the destroyed facilities and what to do with it, European diplomats said.
• The Iranians said they would only agree to begin removing the 60% enriched uranium after getting a commitment from the U.S. not to conduct any further attacks against Iran.
• Iran also demanded that the UN Security Council lift all sanctions and abolish the snapback mechanism after the uranium was removed.
• Only after those steps were implemented would Iran begin to dilute the 60% enriched uranium stockpile into 20% enriched uranium.
• The Iranians further demanded that upon completion of the dilution of the enriched uranium, all U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran would be lifted. At that point, the diplomats said, the Iranians said they would be ready to discuss a final nuclear agreement.

Between the lines: European diplomats said the Iranian proposal was not serious, since it required Western powers to give up all their pressure levers in advance, without Iran taking any practical steps on its nuclear program.

Read more on original:

https://www.axios.com/2025/09/19/snapback-iran-sanctions-un-security-council