The EU Council announced that it decided today to resume sanctions imposed on Iran for developing nuclear weapons, suspended in 2015 after an agreement was reached, BTA reported.
The decision was taken after the resumption of UN sanctions, the statement said. It is specified that the renewed sanctions include measures adopted by the UN and measures determined by the EU. This includes travel bans, asset freezes, a ban on providing funds or economic support to those included in the lists. In addition to the ban on arms exports to Iran and on the transfer of any goods, materials and technology that could contribute to uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, as well as to the development of ballistic missiles, it includes prohibitions on the import, purchase and transport of crude oil, natural gas, petrochemicals and petroleum products, and related services; the sale or supply of energy equipment, or of gold and precious metals and diamonds; certain naval equipment; software.
The EU restores the freeze on the assets of the Central Bank of Iran and major Iranian commercial banks. The ban on access to European airports for Iranian cargo flights and for the maintenance and servicing of Iranian cargo aircraft or vessels carrying prohibited materials or goods is being re-established.
The Council of the EU notes that in July 2015, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) plus Germany, supported by the EU, reached an agreement with Iran on a long-term solution to Iran's nuclear programme. The plan set out steps to ensure that Iran's nuclear programme would be exclusively for civilian and peaceful purposes. The EU lifted all sanctions against Iran's nuclear programme in the same year. At the end of August this year, the UN Security Council was informed of the assessment by France, Germany and the United Kingdom that Iran was not complying with the agreement.