UN Imposes ‘Snapback’ Sanctions on Iran

On Saturday, UN Security Council sanctions were reimposed on Iran under the so-called “snapback” mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, a step triggered by the UK, France, and Germany.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called the move “unfair, unjust, and illegal” as Tehran argues that the three European countries, known as the E3, didn’t have the right to trigger the sanctions since the US was the party that withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018. Iranians are bracing for the impact the sanctions will have on the Iranian economy, which is already reeling under pre-existing US sanctions.

The E3 took the step to trigger the sanctions before the mechanism to reimpose them expired in October. Russia and China attempted to halt the sanctions, but the efforts failed at the UN Security Council. Russia has slammed the move by the Western countries as “illegal,” signaling Moscow may not follow the sanctions, which include an arms embargo.