Iran Downplays Renewed UN Sanctions Ahead of Enforcement
Just hours before the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran, the Iranian government portrayed the move as unthreatening, stating it was not an apocalyptic event. Concurrently, Tehran announced it would summon its ambassadors from the troika capitals for consultations, revealing American demands for the full surrender of its enriched uranium stockpile.
Iranian President Masoud Bezhakian expressed that the reinstatement of international sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program does not signify the end of the world. His statement came as he returned from New York, where he failed to persuade Western powers to delay the sanctions.
In response to the UN sanctions reactivation, Iran swiftly recalled its ambassadors from the UK, France, and Germany, warning of a potentially severe counter-response. Bezhakian told Iranian state television before departing New York, where he participated in UN General Assembly meetings, “It’s not the end of the world. If we are weak, they will crush us; if we are united, we need not fear this crisis.”
He also disclosed that the United States demands the return of all enriched uranium held by Tehran, labeling such a request as utterly unacceptable.
In an interview with reporters, Bezhakian mentioned, “We have not reached an understanding concerning the snapback mechanism due to unacceptable American demands. They want us to give them all of our enriched uranium in exchange for a three-month extension, which we simply cannot agree to. We have made the necessary preparations in case the snapback mechanism is activated, and thanks to our relationships with our neighbors and nations in the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization, we will overcome this situation.”
The reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran is set to take place in just hours, stemming from allegations that Tehran has breached the nuclear agreement.
The sanctions are expected to be enforced at 8 PM Eastern Time (3:30 AM Sunday Tehran time), following a 30-day process initiated by the European troika of Britain, France, and Germany.
Additionally, EU sanctions are slated to resume next week.
In a related development, Iran has granted permission for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to return to the country ahead of the United Nations snapback sanctions coming into effect. This information was confirmed by the IAEA to a German news agency in Vienna, as preparations for countermeasures are also underway in Tehran.
Diplomatic sources indicate that this decision does not imply a return to comprehensive monitoring as demanded by Western countries to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The IAEA has not specified which facilities will be inspected, though its director Rafael Grossi recently mentioned a research reactor in an interview with PBS. According to these sources, the agency has not yet received clearance to access nuclear sites that were targeted in attacks by the U.S. and Israel in June, and the mentioned research reactor in Tehran was not among the targeted facilities.