United Nations (UN) sanctions against Iran will be formally reinstated tonight after the failure of negotiations between the Europeans, who are demanding guarantees over Iran's nuclear program, and Tehran, which denounces the decision as illegal and is withdrawing its ambassadors.
Iranian President Masoud Pazakhstani said in New York today that the United States' (US) demand that Iran hand over all of its enriched uranium in exchange for a three-month extension of sanctions relief is "unacceptable."
Pezeshkian made the remarks on state television before returning to Tehran from New York, where he was attending the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
"In a few months, they will have a new request and they will say (again) that they want to bring back the sanctions," the president added.
The mechanism for reinstating UN sanctions will take effect late tonight, unless there is a last-minute reversal.
The UK, France and Germany, a group of countries known as the E3, launched the so-called sanctions "rollback" mechanism in late August, which allows sanctions lifted in 2015 after the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) to be reinstated within 30 days.
The UN Security Council approved it, and Russia and China - Iran's most powerful and closest allies in the 15-member body - failed to gain the support of the nine states needed to stop the series of sanctions - from an arms embargo to economic measures - from taking effect.
In protest, Iran today recalled its ambassadors to France, Germany and the United Kingdom "for consultations," Iranian state television reported.
The 2015 agreement, signed by the E3, the US, China, Russia and Iran, envisaged a reduction in Tehran's nuclear activities.
However, in 2018, during his first term, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States (US) from the agreement and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Tehran subsequently abandoned certain commitments, particularly regarding uranium enrichment.
Western countries suspect Iran is trying to acquire nuclear weapons. Tehran denies this and defends its right to develop a civilian nuclear program.
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