International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). File
| Photo Credit: AP
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday (September 27, 2025) slammed as “unacceptable” what he described as U.S. demands that Tehran hand over its enriched uranium, as sweeping UN sanctions loomed after nuclear talks collapsed.Earlier this month, the UN nuclear watchdog reported that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% had risen to an estimated 440.9 kg as of June 13, an increase of 32.3 kg since May 17.Though Iran allowed inspectors back into its sites, Western powers said they saw insufficient progress to justify delaying sanctions, after a week of top-level diplomacy at the UN General Assembly.European powers triggered the “snapback” mechanism a month ago, accusing Tehran of failing to comply with requirements over its nuclear program — including through countermeasures it launched in response to Israeli and U.S. strikes in June.He previously said France had made a similar proposal, offering only a one-month delay.“Why would we put ourselves in such a trap and have a noose around our neck each month?” Mr. Pezeshkian asked, accusing the United States of pressuring Europeans not to compromise.Meanwhile, Iran recalled its envoys from Britain, France and Germany for consultations after the three countries triggered the sanctions mechanism, state television reported.The measures, due to take effect on Sunday, will reinstate a global ban on dealings with companies, people and organisations accused of involvement in Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.The sanctions are aimed at imposing new economic pain to pressure Iran, but it remains to be seen if all countries will enforce them.Russian deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said Friday that Moscow, a top partner of Iran, considered the reimposition of sanctions “null and void.”Russia and China sought at the Security Council Friday to delay the reimposition of sanctions until April but failed to muster enough votes.The United States already has unilateral sanctions on Iran and has tried to force all other countries to stop buying Iranian oil, although companies from China have defied the pressure.Mr. Pezeshkian said that Iran would not retaliate against the sanctions by leaving the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, warning that unnamed powers were seeking a “superficial pretext to set the region ablaze.” Published - September 27, 2025 04:06 am IST
