U.N. sanctions on Iran have been reinstated after 10 years. However, because Russia, along with Iran, is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and claims the reinstatement is invalid, there appears to be a possibility of a diplomatic agreement.
According to U.N. headquarters, under the snapback procedure of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 concerning Iran, U.N. sanctions on Iran were restored as of 12 a.m. on the 28th (Greenwich Mean Time; 9 a.m. on the 28th Korea time).
The restored sanctions include bans on transfers and activities related to the nuclear program and ballistic missiles, and a prohibition on weapon transactions. Travel bans and asset freezes on designated individuals may also be imposed.
Earlier, the three key European countries—the United Kingdom, France and Germany—known as the E3, initiated the so‑called "snapback" procedure to revive U.N. sanctions on Iran that had been lifted after the 2015 nuclear deal, saying Iran violated the agreement.
In 2015, under the Barack Obama U.S. administration, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany) after lengthy negotiations, winning limited rights to research and develop nuclear technology under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring in exchange for sanctions relief.
Subsequently, seven Security Council sanctions adopted since 2006 over Iran's nuclear activities ended in Jan. 2016, but the signatories at the time allowed for an automatic reinstatement (snapback) of sanctions if Iran failed to meet its obligations.
Thus, on the 28th, the E3 reportedly triggered this process, saying Iran had seriously violated JCPOA obligations by increasing its uranium stockpile to more than 40 times the limit.
Iran denies Western suspicions that it is developing nuclear weapons and says that, since the United States unilaterally scrapped the nuclear deal in 2018, the E3's attempt to reinstate sanctions in line with Washington lacks basis and is unfair.
Earlier, in 2018 during the first Donald Trump U.S. administration, Washington withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and unilaterally reimposed sanctions on Iran.
However, since Iran and Western countries have kept channels open, there is a possibility of a deal through negotiations even after the sanctions' reinstatement. There is also speculation that even if sanctions are restored, enforcement could be limited because Russia, a permanent Security Council member, has defined the U.N. sanctions' restoration as illegal and is putting heavy pressure on the U.N. Secretariat.
Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, said, "Given the scope of U.S. and European sanctions already in place on Iran, U.N. sanctions will have little economic impact."