UN Security Council Rejects Late Effort to Extend Iran Sanctions ‘Snapback’ Deadline

FDD | Sept 27, 2025

Latest Developments

• Push to Delay Rejected: The UN Security Council on September 26 rejected a last-ditch proposal put forward by Russia and China to delay the reimposition of UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program under the “snapback” mechanism. The resolution was voted down by a count of 4-9 with two abstentions. Barring an extremely late deal made between Iran and France, the United Kingdom, and Germany — known as the E3 — UN sanctions will be reimplemented on the Islamic Republic at midnight on September 28. Enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 2231 — which endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — snapback would freeze Iranian assets abroad, restore arms and missile embargos on Iran, outlaw Tehran’s ballistic missile testing, restore prohibitions against its uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing, and ban nuclear trade with the regime.

• Iran Laments Motion: “The United States has betrayed diplomacy, but it is the E3 which have buried it,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after the vote, telling reporters that the motion would jeopardize hopes of reconciliation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Araghchi also claimed that IAEA inspectors were currently in Iran carrying out inspections of Tehran’s nuclear sites, though it was unclear whether he was referring to the infrastructure damaged by Israel and the United States during extensive air strikes in June. The E3 triggered the process to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran under snapback on August 28 after assessing that “Since 2019 and as of today, Iran has increasingly and deliberately ceased performing its JCPOA commitments. This includes the accumulation of a high enriched uranium stockpile which lacks any credible civilian justification.”
• Khamenei Rejected Talks Ahead of Deadline: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected direct talks with the United States over the future of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, asserting on September 23 that Iran would not “surrender to pressure” regarding uranium enrichment, while also claiming that the United States is attempting to restrict Tehran’s missile program. Following the vote on September 26, Khamenei accused the United States of breaking “promises in everything,” insisting that “one cannot negotiate with this side, cannot sit down with confidence and trust to make agreements.”

FDD Expert Response

“At midnight, UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal will be declared officially dead. While more than a decade of nuclear diplomacy with Tehran failed, with Iran’s nuclear advances resulting in U.S. and Israeli air strikes, the regime still has a choice going forward. It can rebuild its nuclear weapons program, inviting new strikes and punishing sanctions, or it can cease and dismantle such efforts and choose a better future for its people. Since the regime will likely opt for the unwise choice, multilateral restrictions on Iran’s proliferation activities will be a cornerstone of containing these new and reemerging threats.” — Andrea Stricker, Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program Deputy Director and Research Fellow

“Iran is the only party to blame for the reimposition of sanctions through the snapback mechanism. The previous conventional arms embargo and restrictions on Iran’s missile acquisition were arbitrarily lifted under a time-based framework that did not require Iran to alter its behavior. With snapback restrictions returning, a conditions-based regime can be pursued where Iran will be required to definitively prove it is not pursuing nuclear weapons, illegal enrichment, or developing a long-range missile capability before sanctions will be lifted. The U.S. can now push for a zero nuclear enrichment agreement with Iran similar to other peaceful civilian energy agreements.” — Tyler Stapleton, Director of Government Relations, FDD Action 

FDD Background and Analysis

“Iran Rebuilding Missile Sites Targeted by Israel During Extensive Air Strikes,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iran’s Supreme Leader Rejects Negotiations Over Country’s Nuclear Program as Snapback Deadline Looms,” FDD Flash Brief

“UN Security Council Nixes Resolution to Halt Reimposition of Sanctions Against Iran,” FDD Flash Brief

“U.S. and Europe Must Prevent Iran’s Acquisition of New Enrichment Equipment,” by Andrea Stricker