EU Maintains Sanctions Set to Expire under Nuclear Deal

European Union member states have maintained restrictive measures against the Islamic Republic of Iran under the non-proliferation sanctions regime after an October 18 deadline set in the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

The European Council “adopted legal acts to maintain the designations, that had initially been imposed by the United Nations for individuals and entities involved in nuclear or ballistic missiles activities or affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)," a statement said on October 17.

"The Council also agreed to maintain sectoral and individual measures, existing under the EU's sanctions regime, notably those related to Iran nuclear proliferation, as well as arms and missile embargoes," it said.

These moves “do not amount to the imposition of additional EU sanctions on Iran,” and all EU sanctions that had already been lifted under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) remain lifted.

The Islamic Republic has said that maintaining the sanctions beyond October 18 would be “illegal.”

The JCPOA was aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of relief from US, EU and UN sanctions.

The accord began unraveling in 2018 when then President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from it and began re-imposing crippling sanctions on Iran. The Islamic Republic retaliated by dropping some of its obligations under the pact.

Efforts to revive the deal have been fruitless so far with European-led talks on hold since 2022.