UPDATE 0921 GMT:

The European Union’s foreign policy Kaja Kallas has commented:

ORIGINAL ENTRY: UN sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program are back in force after talks between Tehran and three European powers — France, Germany, and the UK — failed to reach an agreement.

The “snapback” sanctions are the UN’s first since the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the 5+1 Powers (France, Germany, UK, US, China, and Russia. They took effect at 11:59 p.m. Saturday.

Responding to the Trump Administration’s withdrawal from the deal and imposition of comprehensive sanctions in 2018, Iran broke the terms of the agreement by enriching uranium beyond 3.67%. It returned to production of 20% fuel and began enriching to 60% in April 2021. The 60% uranium has the potential of being further enriched to a military grade of more than 90%.

From 2021, Iran began restricting the International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspections of its nuclear facilities. It removed cameras, and withheld all video.

The situation took on additional urgency with the expiry in October 2025 of some provisions of the 2015 deal, and with Israel’s 12-day war on Iran in June. Nuclear complexes were struck by the Israelis and then by the US, which used “bunker-buster” bombs to damage the underground Fordoo facility.

The Israeli assault ended talks between Iran and the Trump Administration, which went through five rounds earlier in 2025 without any resolution of issues.

Europe: We Still Seek “New Diplomatic Solution”

Anticipating the snapback, Iran recalled its envoys from France, Germany, and the UK on Saturday for consultations.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote UN Secretary General António Guterres that the Europeans were “wrongly assuming that Iran will yield to coercion. History has proven this assumption false — and it will do so again.”

He warned, “Any attempt to harm Iran will be met with appropriate responses, and full responsibility will rest with those who choose confrontation and pressure over cooperation.”

The French, German, and UK Foreign Ministers said in a joint statement said they will continue to seek “a new diplomatic solution to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon”. They called on Tehran “to refrain from any escalatory action”.

On Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on UN member states to implement the sanctions while urging Tehran to “accept direct talks, held in good faith”.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Kremlin will not enforce the sanctions. He claimed they “finally exposed the west’s policy of sabotaging the pursuit of constructive solutions in the UN Security Council, as well as its desire to extract unilateral concessions from Tehran through blackmail and pressure”.

Further Pressure on Troubled Iranian Economy

The renewed sanctions will challenge an Iranian economy already facing a plummeting currency, inflation, and issues with electricity.

The rial has lost another 12% in recent days. It stands this morning at an all-time low of 1,129,000:1 v. the US dollar.

The currency was 45,000:1 v. the dollar in early 2018, before the American return to comprehensive sanctions.

An engineer in Tehran, Dariush, said, “The current situation was already very difficult, but it’s going to get worse. The impact of the renewed sanctions is already evident: the exchange rate is increasing, and this is leading to higher prices.”

The 50-year-old said the standard of living is “much lower” than it was “two or three years ago”.