Sanctions likely to be reimposed on Iran, Macron says as UN vote looms

Tehran 'not serious' in negotiations to avert move, French President adds

French President Emmanuel Macron said 'the latest news from the Iranians is not serious'. Nathan Laine / Bloomberg

France, Britain and Germany will likely reimpose international sanctions on Iran by the end of this month, French President Emmanuel Macron said ahead of a UN Security Council vote on the issue set for Friday.

The "E3" European powers launched a 30-day process late last month to reapply UN sanctions, setting conditions for Tehran to meet on its nuclear energy programme to avoid the so-called "snapback mechanism".

But Mr Macron said negotiations since then had not been "serious". When asked in an interview with Israel's Channel 12 TV station whether the snapback was a done deal, he said: "Yes. I think so because the latest news from the Iranians is not serious."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded on Thursday by saying he had presented a "reasonable and actionable plan to E3/EU counterparts to avert an unnecessary and avoidable crisis in the coming days".

In a post on X, Mr Araghchi said the proposal "addresses genuine concerns" and described it as mutually beneficial, but did not provide details.

Mr Araghchi held a phone call with E3 foreign ministers and the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Wednesday, but no progress was reported.

“The window for finding a diplomatic solution on Iran’s nuclear issue is closing really fast,” Ms Kallas said in a statement after the call.

“Iran must show credible steps towards addressing the demands of France, UK and Germany, and this means demonstrating full co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and allowing inspections of all nuclear sites without delay.”

Iranian Foreign Minister insists Iran won't give up nuclear enrichment programme

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The 15-member UN Security Council will vote on Friday on a resolution that would permanently lift the UN sanctions – a move it is required to take after the E3 launched the snapback process.

The resolution is likely to fail to get the minimum nine votes needed to pass, and if it did it would be vetoed by the US, Britain or France.

The E3 powers say Iran has broken its pledges under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed in 2015, which was designed to stop Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

They allege that Tehran has built up a stockpile of enriched uranium that is more than 40 times the level permitted under the deal.

The 2015 treaty unravelled after the US withdrew in 2018 during Donald Trump's first presidency and reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Friday's UN vote could result in the reimposition of sanctions as early as next week – although the UN General Assembly next week, which Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will attend, could present opportunities for last-ditch negotiations.

The sanctions include a conventional arms embargo, restrictions on ballistic missile development, asset freezes, travel bans and a ban on producing nuclear-related technology.

Western powers and Israel have long accused Tehran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a claim Iran denies. Israel bombed Iran's nuclear facilities in June during an aerial war that lasted 12 days.

On Thursday, Iran decided at the last minute to withdraw a draft UN resolution prohibiting attacks on all nuclear facilities that it had put forward for a vote along with China, Russia and other countries.

Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Reza Najafi, said that “guided by the spirit of goodwill and constructive engagement, and at the request of several member states", Tehran deferred action on the draft until next year.

The resolution contained a paragraph that “strongly condemned” the “deliberate and unlawful attacks carried out in June 2025 against nuclear sites and facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, adding that it constituted a “clear violation of international law”.

It also “reaffirmed” that “all states must refrain from attacking or threatening to attack peaceful nuclear facilities in other countries”.