UPDATE 1037 GMT:
The Secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, Ali Larijani, has focused on the Trump Administration, rather than Europe:
US should come to negotiate when it’s tired of war. One of the problems with America is its combination of war and negotiation. Iran has never avoided talks, but a negotiation where the outcome is predetermined is just a farce.
The head of Iran’s military postured after meeting the commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, “Strengthening, modernizing and updating of the country’s defense equipment is progressing well. The Armed Forces are fully prepared to powerfully confront any threat or potential aggression.”
UPDATE 0921 GMT:
The European Union’s foreign policy Kaja Kallas has commented:
The UN reimposed sanctions on Iran early Sunday over its nuclear programme. The EU will follow.
This must not be the end of diplomacy with Iran.
A sustainable solution to the Iranian nuclear issue can only be achieved through negotiations.
Statement↓https://t.co/ah58A22ng4
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) September 28, 2025
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”.
[Editor’s Note: Yet another example of Mearsheimer, once a prominent academic, in his new role as polemicist on fringe YouTube sites.]
John Mearsheimer claims Iran had Israel on the ropes and should not have agreed to a ceasefire kin June: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I4JmaJ2Z0I
“If I had been playing the Iranians hand, I would not have agreed to a ceasefire. I would have let the war go on for a couple more weeks. The Israelis were in real trouble.”
Don’t also forget Steve Bannon: https://www.threads.com/@barristerstreet/post/DLUUFaJo6oa/video-steve-bannon-admits-the-ceasefire-was-to-save-israelthe-ceasefire-was-as-much-to?hl=en-gb
“The ceasefire was as much to save Israel. That’s the hidden story. They bit off more than they could chew. Yesterday was brutal for Israeli citizens, especially in Tel Aviv and Beersheba…they were running out of defensive missiles.”
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/to-preserve-rising-lions-achievements-israel-must-support-an-iran-nuclear-deal/
“We need to remember that despite senior Israeli officials’ claims, Israel did not win the battle with Iran. It did achieve substantial achievements, but not only did Iran retain nuclear capability, but during the war, Iran also managed to hit many areas in Israel and caused significant damage, even though Israel’s starting point in the war was optimal…………..Iran recently began an extensive reconstruction of its surface-to-surface missile capabilities, including a series of tests that are apparently aimed at improving Iranian launch capabilities in the face of the possibility of renewed war with Israel. At the same time, Tehran is working vigorously to restore its air defense system, which was severely damaged in the war, out of concern that the war between Israel and Iran will resume soon. These moves are eroding Israeli achievements, and, above all, they indicate the inability to prevent Iran from rebuilding its conventional capabilities.”
Israel and Iran on the brink: Preventing the next war: https://www.iss.europa.eu/publications/briefs/israel-and-iran-brink-preventing-next-war
“The region is still absorbing the impact of the war. Israeli jets, refuelled by the US, bombed targets across Iran, including nuclear, military and energy sites. Iran responded with unprecedented missile salvos, breaching Israel’s advanced defence systems and hitting military sites and the Haifa oil refinery….American and Israeli operations came with a significant financial cost, and depleted US stockpiles – including an estimated quarter of American high-end missile interceptors.”
Critical Reflections on Israel’s Attack on Iran: https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/46907
“This was, obviously, an extremely unequal war between two nuclear powers equipped with highly advanced weapons, and a country that lacks any of those weapons and has been under continuous sanctions for four decades. Nevertheless, Iran managed to hold its ground and while Israel censored the impact of Iran’s retaliatory attacks, it was recently revealed that they caused extensive damage and hit at least eight strategic and military targets….Neither the state imploded nor did society revolt under the pressures induced by military attacks and threats. If anything, the attacks lessened or distracted from, rather than increased, state-society contradictions.”
Israel and Iran on a collision course for another war: https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/09/28/israel-and-iran-on-a-collision-course-for-another-war/
“In Iran, a narrative of “victory” has taken root. While no one in Tehran denies that Israel scored major achievements, officials there point to the regime’s survival and rapid recovery, replacing assassinated senior figures within 24 hours, as proof of resilience. From their perspective, simply holding their own against Israel and the US in a direct confrontation was itself a dramatic accomplishment.”