Tehran, 28 September 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Iran dismissed the UN sanctions on its nuclear programme as unlawful on Sunday after they were reactivated by Germany, France and Britain.

"The measure taken by the three European countries is flawed from a legal and procedural point of view and is therefore null and void," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote to UN Secretary General António Guterres in a letter posted on X.

He said the entry into force of the UN sanctions constituted a "clear abuse" of the 2015 nuclear agreement, calling it morally and politically unjustifiable.

He told Guterres he expected him to prevent the three European countries and the US from exploiting the UN for their political purposes.

The sanctions came back into force overnight after the so-called "snapback" mechanism was triggered by Germany, France and Britain, cosignatories of the landmark agreement to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons.

Western powers fear Iran is seeking to build a nuclear bomb though Tehran repeatedly insists its nuclear activities are solely for civilian purposes.

But the three European powers accuse the country of uranium enrichment far beyond levels needed for civilian nuclear purposes.

The resumption of inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was also a key demand.

Despite last-minute diplomatic efforts, no breakthrough was reached with Iranian leaders, triggering the return of the sanctions regime that was in place from 2006-10.

The measures include a comprehensive arms embargo, a ban on uranium enrichment and a global freeze on the assets of Iranian individuals and entities linked to nuclear or ballistic missile programmes.

While the sanctions are expected to further strain Iran's already weakened economy, battered by extensive unilateral measures imposed by the United States, the full impact of the UN "snapback" remains uncertain.

In protest against the reinstatement of the sanctions, Iran said on Saturday it was recalling its ambassadors from Britain, France and Germany.

Photo: EPA