Netanyahu calls on UN to prevent Iran’s nuclear resurgence

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By John Irish and Parisa Hafezi

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The world must not allow Iran to rebuild its nuclear and military programs, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, a day before the United Nations is set to reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

All U.N. sanctions on Iran are due to be reimposed at 8 p.m. EDT on Saturday (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.

Diplomats say a Russian-Chinese proposal to delay sanctions for six months was unlikely to pass when the U.N. Security Council votes on Friday, after last-ditch talks between Iran and Britain, France and Germany failed to break a deadlock.

“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,” Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly, referring to Israeli and U.S. bombings of Iran’s nuclear installations in June.

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

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

The European powers had offered to delay reinstating sanctions for up to six months to allow space for talks on a long-term deal if Iran restored access for U.N. nuclear inspectors, addressed concerns about its stock of enriched uranium, and engaged in talks with the United States.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday that delaying the return of sanctions would provide time and space for diplomacy. 

“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,” he posted on X. 

However, a senior European diplomat said: “The Iranian system was not willing to budge. Snapback will happen.”

U.N. sanctions would come into force immediately on Saturday, while European Union sanctions would return next week.

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

The sanctions would restore an arms embargo, a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing, a ban on activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, a global asset freeze and travel bans on Iranian individuals and entities and would also hit its energy sector.

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Howard Goller)