Lyse DoucetChief international correspondent, in New York and
Raffi Berg
The United Nations’ sweeping economic and military sanctions look set to be reimposed on Iran a decade after they were lifted in a landmark international deal over its nuclear programme.
It comes after the UK, France and Germany wrote to the UN Security Council last month, accusing Iran of failing to fulfil its commitments. That triggered a mechanism giving Iran 30 days to find a diplomatic solution to avert renewed sanctions.
Tehran has now recalled its ambassadors to the UK, France and Germany in response, Iranian state media reports.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the re-imposition of international sanctions as “unfair, unjust, and illegal”.
He has rejected a US demand to hand over all of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium in return for a three-month exemption from sanctions, Pezeshkian added.
“Why would we put ourselves in such a trap and have a noose around our neck each month?” the president asked rhetorically as he left New York for Tehran on Saturday – days after addressing the UN General Assembly.
Pezeshkian has reiterated that Tehran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons and blamed the US and Israel for intensifying pressure to try to bring down the Islamic republic.
A last-minute resolution to delay the move by six months, led by China and Russia, only received four votes in the 15-member council.
The sanctions are set to come into force at 00: 00 GMT on Sunday.