Iran snapback sanctions loom as UN security council set to vote on nuclear programme

"A final Russian attempt to defer the snapback of large-scale UN sanctions on Iran is expected to fail at the UN security council on Friday after European countries rejected last-minute Iranian offers to give UN weapons inspectors limited access to its bombed nuclear sites. Russia will call for the reimposition of the sanctions to be deferred for six months to give more time for diplomacy, but European diplomats are confident that Russia will not get the nine votes it needs."

"European diplomats said that Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, made a final offer to allow UN weapons inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to only one of its bombed nuclear sites, as opposed to all of them. Araghchi also said Iran would return with a proposal on how to handle the 400kg of highly enriched uranium in its possession within 45 days, down from a previous offer of 90 days."

"The reimposition of the UN sanctions marks a serious deterioration in Iranian relations with the west and may have political ramifications inside Iran. One European diplomat said the Iranian foreign ministry thought we would not go through with this, but they never came up with a serious offer. Araghchi misjudged this badly. Criticism was also being directed at the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, who Europeans claim agreed"

Russia will seek a six-month deferral of the UN sanctions snapback but is unlikely to secure the nine Security Council votes required. Europe moved to reimpose sanctions after New York talks failed to secure an acceptable Iranian offer. Iran offered IAEA access to only one bombed nuclear site and a 45-day proposal on handling 400kg of highly enriched uranium, asking for permanent removal of the sanctions threat. The reimposition signals a sharp deterioration in relations with the west and could have domestic political consequences. European diplomats criticised Iran's misjudgement and questioned IAEA head Rafael Grossi's recent deal-making.

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