Iran recalls envoys to UK, France, Germany as UN sanctions reimposed

The United Nations reinstated an arms embargo and other sanctions on Iran on Saturday following a process triggered by key European powers that Tehran has warned will be met with a harsh response. Britain, France and Germany triggered the return of sanctions on Iran at the U.N. Security Council over accusations the country has violated a 2015 deal that aimed to stop it developing a nuclear bomb. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons. The end of the decade-long nuclear deal originally agreed by Iran, Britain, Germany, France, the United States, Russia and China is likely to exacerbate tensions in the Middle East, just months after Israel and the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites. U.N. sanctions imposed by the Security Council in resolutions adopted between 2006 and 2010 were reinstated at 8 p.m. EDT Saturday (0000 GMT). Attempts to delay the return of all sanctions on Iran failed on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. this week.

We urge Iran and all states to abide fully by these resolutions,” the foreign ministers of France, Britain and Germany said in a joint statement after the deadline passed. Tehran has warned of a harsh response. But Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that Iran had no intention of leaving the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran said on Saturday it was recalling its ambassadors to Britain, France and Germany for consultations.

Russia has disputed the return of U.N. sanctions on Iran. “It is unlawful, and it cannot be implemented,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters at the U.N. earlier on Saturday, adding that he had written to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning that it would be “a major mistake” for him to acknowledge a return of U.N. sanctions on Iran.

Iran’s rial currency continued to decline over fears of new sanctions. The rial fell to 1,123,000 per U.S. dollar, a new record low, on Saturday, from about 1,085,000 on Friday. With the return of U.N. sanctions, Iran will again be subjected to an arms embargo and a ban on all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches. Other sanctions to be reimposed include a travel ban on dozens of Iranian individuals, an asset freeze on dozens of Iranian individuals and entities and a ban on the supply of anything that could be used in Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran has recalled its envoys to the United Kingdom, France and Germany for consultations, according to state media, after the three European countries triggered a mechanism reinstating the United Nations’ sanctions on the Islamic Republic for the first time in a decade.