The United Nations Security Council will hold a crucial vote this Friday on whether to reinstate sanctions on Iran over its controversial nuclear program.
The decision follows claims by Britain, France, and Germany that Iran has violated the terms of a 2015 nuclear deal meant to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.
The vote was triggered after the three European countries—known as the “E3″—formally accused Iran of breaking its promises under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
This 2015 agreement was designed to limit Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. However, the E3 allege that Iran has now built up more than 40 times the allowed amount of enriched uranium, which could be used to make nuclear bombs.
“Iran’s actions go far beyond what the agreement allows,” said one European diplomat.
The JCPOA has been fragile ever since the United States pulled out of the deal in 2018 during Donald Trump’s presidency. The U.S. also reimposed tough sanctions on Iran at the time, which deepened tensions and led Iran to slowly step away from its own commitments.
In recent months, the situation worsened after a brief 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June 2025, which derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. As a result, Iran also cut off cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and UN inspectors had to leave the country.
Diplomatic sources say the resolution is likely to pass, meaning sanctions will be reimposed on Iran. If at least nine out of 15 Security Council members vote in favor, and none of the five permanent members (U.S., Russia, China, France, UK) veto it, the sanctions could return quickly.
These sanctions could affect:
Iran’s economy (especially oil exports)
International banking
Military trade and nuclear technology access
Meeting Details
The vote is scheduled to take place:
Date: Friday, September 20, 2025
Time: 10:00 am New York time (1400 GMT)
Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed in 2015 between Iran and six world powers: U.S., UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China. Its goal was to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon by:
Limiting its uranium enrichment
Reducing its nuclear stockpiles
Allowing regular international inspections
In return, international sanctions were lifted to boost Iran’s economy. However, after the U.S. exited the deal in 2018, the agreement slowly collapsed.
This vote could mark a turning point. If sanctions are reinstated, tensions between Iran and the West may rise further, and the chances of reviving the nuclear deal will become even more difficult.
As of now, Iran has not officially responded to the vote, but previous statements suggest they view Western pressure as unfair and politically motivated.
