Israeli PM urges global resolve to prevent Iran’s nuclear reconstitution

In a stern address to the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the international community that it must not permit Iran to rebuild its nuclear and military programs. His remarks came just one day before the scheduled reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran.

All UN sanctions on Iran are due to be reimposed at 8 p.m. EDT on September 27 (0000 GMT) after European powers, known as the E3, triggered a 30‑day process accusing Tehran of violating a 2015 deal meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon, Reuters reports.

Diplomats report that a Russian-Chinese proposal to delay reimposition of sanctions by six months is unlikely to succeed. A last-minute attempt at diplomacy between Iran and Britain, France, and Germany failed to break the impasse.

Netanyahu invoked past military action when he addressed the assembly:

“We removed an existential threat to Iran, to Israel, rather, and a mortal threat to the civilized world. We lifted a dark cloud that could have claimed millions and millions of lives, but ladies and gentlemen, we must remain vigilant.”

He urged the UN to restore pressure without delay:

“We must not allow Iran to rebuild its military nuclear capacities, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium. These stockpiles must be eliminated, and tomorrow, UN Security Council sanctions on Iran must be snapped back.”

Iran continues to deny any intent to develop nuclear weapons.

European powers had floated a compromise: postponing sanctions for up to six months to allow renewed diplomacy—if Iran provided renewed access to U.N. nuclear inspectors, addressed concerns about its enriched uranium holdings, and resumed direct talks with the United States. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi supported a delay, stating:

“In past days and weeks, Iran has put forward multiple proposals to keep the window for diplomacy open. The E3 has failed to reciprocate while the U.S. has doubled down on its dictates.”

Nevertheless, a senior European diplomat was less optimistic:

“The Iranian system was not willing to budge. Snapback will happen.”

When the sanctions snap back on Saturday, UN measures will take effect immediately, while parallel sanctions from the European Union will return in the days that follow.

For Iran, the new sanctions will reverse recent reprieves in its economy. They will restore a comprehensive arms embargo, ban uranium enrichment and reprocessing, prohibit activities tied to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, impose a global asset freeze and travel bans on Iranian individuals and entities, and reimpose restrictions on its energy sector.

Iran's economy is already struggling with crippling sanctions reimposed since 2018 after US President Donald Trump ditched the pact during his first term.

By Vafa Guliyeva