The European Union will partially restore sanctions against Iran.

The EU Council decided to partially reinstate sanctions against Iran, according to a statement.

"Today, the EU Council agreed to re-impose a number of restrictive measures against Iran's nuclear proliferation activities, which were suspended with the entry into force of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or Iran nuclear deal) in 2015," the statement said.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iran nuclear deal, is a document under which Iran, in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions, agrees to limit its nuclear program and renounce the development of nuclear weapons. The JCPOA was signed in Vienna in the summer of 2015. The document was approved by UN Security Council Resolution 2231 in July 2015. In 2018, US President Donald Trump announced his country's withdrawal from the JCPOA and the imposition of additional sanctions against Iran. Tehran complied with its obligations for another year, and in 2019 announced that it had suspended them.

The statement noted that this happened after the EU3 countries ( the UK , Germany and France ) activated the snapback mechanism provided for in the agreement (a mechanism that involves the restoration of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran).

The measures include travel bans for individuals, asset freezes for individuals and legal entities, and sanctions against the trade, financial, and transport sectors.

The sanctions also include bans on certain software, naval equipment, and the sale or supply of gold, other precious metals, and diamonds. The sanctions will affect the import, purchase, and transportation of crude oil , natural gas, petrochemicals, petroleum products, and related services. Furthermore, the measures will affect the sale or supply of key equipment used in the energy sector.

The EU also imposes an asset freeze on the Central Bank of Iran and major Iranian commercial banks and renews measures to prevent Iranian cargo flights from accessing EU airports.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or the Iran nuclear agreement) expires on October 18, 2025. On September 26, the UN Security Council rejected a resolution proposed by RUSSIA and CHINA to extend it. Four states supported the resolution, nine voted against it, and two abstained. This initiative was seen as a way to avoid the return of international sanctions, the reinstatement of which was initiated by the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, all signatories to the agreement.

On January 20, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated that Tehran was prepared to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) if sanctions were reinstated in the UN Security Council . "Iran has never discussed or spoken with anyone about its defense or military potential. <...> However, if the snapback mechanism is activated, our response will be symmetrical. We will have no reason to remain a party to certain treaties," he noted.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Moscow views Iran's statements about a possible withdrawal from the NPT as a reaction to Western countries' threats to renew sanctions pressure on Tehran.

Russia "consistently advocates for strengthening the NPT and its further universalization," the Foreign Ministry clarified; Iran, meanwhile, "absolutely fulfills its NPT obligations." "Meanwhile, among its opponents and adversaries, there are plenty who are just waiting for Tehran to 'miss.' We hope their malicious plans will fail," the ministry explained.

ReadPIONERPRODUKT .by inTELEGRAM .