Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the United Nations initiated snapback sanctions on Iran late Saturday, coming as tensions have escalated over Iran’s alleged non-compliance with the deal to curb the Middle Eastern nation’s nuclear program.
“We commend France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on their decisiveness and resolve. Six UN resolutions have been reactivated, prohibiting Iranian nuclear enrichment and restoring restrictions on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and arms trade,” Rubio said in a post on X.
The implementation comes after warnings from the European Union and the German foreign ministry in early September that Iran was not properly complying with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. If Iran continued to buck proper compliance, sanctions would return, the nations warned.
“Iran must show credible steps towards addressing the demands of France, U.K. and Germany, and this means demonstrating full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and allowing inspections of all nuclear sites without delay,” Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, said in mid-September.
In the nuclear deal, the United Nations gave Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for restrictions on and foreign inspections of their nuclear weapons program. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom were the only three individual European countries listed as signatories on the deal signed originally in 2015. The United States pulled out of the deal in 2018 under President Donald Trump’s first term.
Rubio tied the snapback sanctions to Iran’s “significant non-performance” of its commitments in the nuclear deal. The snapback restores prior sanctions and restrictions from six restored Security Council resolutions, Rubio said in a statement.
“Notably, they require Iran to suspend uranium enrichment-, heavy water-, and reprocessing-related activities; prohibit Iran from using ballistic missile technology; embargo the export of conventional arms to Iran; reimpose travel bans and global asset freezes on listed individuals and entities; and authorize the seizure of weapons and other prohibited cargo being transferred by Iran to state and non-state actors,” Rubio said in a statement.
On September 26, the U.N. Security Council failed to extend the nuclear deal. Delegates of only four nations — Algeria, China, Pakistan, and the Russian Federation — voted to extend the deal and its accompanying resolution.
Rubio said the U.S. still sees diplomacy with Iran as an option, but said the move holds Tehran accountable.
“A deal remains the best outcome for the Iranian people and the world. For that to happen, Iran must accept direct talks, held in good faith, without stalling or obfuscation,” Rubio said.
