Iran Threatens to End Nuclear Inspections if Europe Revives UN Sanctions

• Iran warns it may block nuclear inspections if European nations reinstate UN sanctions.
• The September 28 deadline looms as diplomacy faces growing hurdles.

On September 14, 2025, Financial Post reported that Iran's Supreme National Security Council warned it would suspend nuclear inspections if European nations reinstate United Nations sanctions by their impending September 28 deadline. This announcement underscores escalating diplomatic tensions between Tehran and the UK, France, and Germany.

Tehran has asserted that any hostile actions, including the reimposition of Security Council resolutions, would jeopardize its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and prompt significant retaliatory measures. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as cited by the Iranian Students' News Agency on the same day, cautioned that triggering the "snapback" mechanism could lead to irreparable damage to international diplomacy.

This warning mirrors broader geopolitical tensions stemming from June’s joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Following these attacks, Iran closed international access to its sites, arguing that shared inspection data could exacerbate the risk of future strikes. In response, the UK, France, and Germany initiated a process that threatens to restore UN sanctions unless Iran fully cooperates with the IAEA before the September 28 deadline.

UN News reported on September 10, 2025, that a tentative agreement was reached in Cairo between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi to resume nuclear inspections. The deal outlined practical modalities for inspection activities, but concerns remain about Iran’s uranium stockpile. European nations continue to demand a comprehensive accounting of this material and insist Tehran enter direct negotiations with the Trump administration before sanctions are rolled back.

On September 13, 2025, Al Jazeera reported Iran’s Supreme National Security Council claims all inspections beyond the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant necessitate its explicit approval. Moreover, Iran has yet to provide a detailed report on the whereabouts of its nuclear material, which the IAEA deems crucial for safely restarting operations at sites damaged during the June airstrikes. Tehran has also hinted at withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) should sanctions be reinstated.