Iran International
Republican Senator John Cornyn called on European allies to support and intensify sanctions against Iran, calling it a leading state sponsor of terrorism and an aggressor.
The United Kingdom, France and Germany last month triggered the so-called "snapback" of international sanctions on Tehran which are set to take effect on September 28.
"We need our European allies to step up and agree that these sanctions are critical," Cornyn told Iran International.
"Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism. Thank goodness President Trump disrupted their nuclear weapons program. But their attitude and conduct remain unchanged, and these sanctions are entirely justified," the Texas senator said.
Cornyn’s push follows a letter led by Senator Jim Risch and signed by 50 Senate Republicans last week. The letter praised the UK, France, and Germany for re-activating the UN sanctions on Iran and urged sustained pressure until Tehran’s nuclear program is fully dismantled.
The move reflects growing United States concerns over Iran’s nuclear progress and its support for proxy groups across the region.
At the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the US of betraying trust, particularly after its 2018 withdrawal from the JCPOA nuclear deal, and stressed Iran’s willingness to pursue diplomacy to resolve the crisis.
Pezeshkian denied that Iran has ever sought nuclear weapons, despite the US and Israeli assertions in June that Tehran was racing toward a bomb.
"I hereby declare once more that Iran has never sought and will never seek to build a nuclear bomb," Pezeshkian said.
Addressing European powers, Pezeshkian accused Germany, Britain, and France of acting in bad faith by reinstating UN sanctions.
"The three European states, having failed through a decade of bad faith and by supporting military aggression to subdue the proud people of Iran, at the behest of the United States, sought to reinstate terminated UN Security Council resolutions through pressure, coercion, and blatant abuse," the Iranian president said.
French President Emmanuel Macron also met with Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN meeting, warning that time was running out. "An agreement remains possible — only hours left; it is up to Iran," Macron posted on X.
Britain, France and Germany triggered the 30-day “snapback” process on August 28, accusing Iran of breaching the 2015 nuclear deal. If no agreement is reached, restrictions including an arms embargo, asset freezes and bans on nuclear-related technology will return at the end of the month.
The move would also provide a legal basis for the EU and Britain to reimpose banking, shipping and energy curbs.
But as Reuters’ columnist Ron Bousso writes, past experience shows Western sanctions have had limited lasting impact on Iranian oil flows.
Exports collapsed to 444,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2020 after Washington reimposed sanctions but have since rebounded to 1.6 million bpd this year, with nearly 80% going to China, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
Despite years of US efforts to expand restrictions on tankers, traders and refiners, Iran has developed an opaque network of intermediaries, uninsured vessels and ship-to-ship transfers to keep crude flowing.
“These whack-a-mole efforts have had little and often short-lived impact,” Bousso wrote.
Analysts say the snapback may deter some Asian buyers but not Beijing, which has already defied Western sanctions by importing sanctioned Russian LNG cargoes. Chinese refiners could even gain leverage to secure Iranian oil at steeper discounts, further undermining the effectiveness of Western sanctions.
The oil and petrochemical sector contributed roughly a quarter of Iran’s GDP in 2024, making continued exports critical to Tehran’s economy as sanctions loom.
Foreign ministers of Iran, Britain, France and Germany – the so-called E3 – met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, joined by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, amid warnings that a 30-day “snapback” process to reimpose sanctions will expire on September 27.
In the meeting between Iranian and European top diplomats in New York, "some ideas and proposals for continuing diplomacy were raised, and it was decided that consultations with all involved parties would continue," according to Iran's Foreign Ministry.
"The course of discussions over the past month aimed at finding diplomatic solutions regarding Iran’s nuclear issue and preventing an escalation of tensions was reviewed in the meeting," according to the Foreign Ministry statement.
The E3 triggered the process on August 28, accusing Iran of failing to comply with a 2015 nuclear deal designed to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Tehran denies it seeks such arms, insisting its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
“Iran has been in contact with E3/EU officials and (the UN nuclear chief Rafael) Grossi since this morning at the UN Different ideas have been raised and discussed,” a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday.
Another Iranian official said “everyone seems to be trying” to find a resolution.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned European states to choose “cooperation or confrontation.”
Speaking on state TV, he said: “They have tested Iran repeatedly and know we do not respond to the language of pressure and threat ... I hope we can find a diplomatic solution in the coming days, otherwise Tehran will take appropriate measures.”
According to diplomats, the E3 have offered to delay reinstating sanctions for up to six months if Iran restores access for UN inspectors, addresses concerns over its stockpile of enriched uranium and agrees to talks with the United States.
But two European envoys said Iran’s leaders have yet to meet these conditions. “The ball is in Iran’s camp,” one diplomat said. “It is up to it to quickly take the concrete steps in the coming days to avert snapback. If not, then sanctions will be reimposed.”
Another diplomat added, “The minimum would be for Iranians to present the special report and allow some token visit of inspectors to some sites, but even then that probably won’t fly – and chances are the US would veto.”
If no extension is agreed, all pre-2015 UN sanctions will automatically return on September 28, compounding economic pressures from US and European measures already in place.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that Iran would “overcome” any reimposition of sanctions. According to an insider cited by Reuters, growing discontent over the economy was rattling Iran’s leadership, with little sign of answers.
In June, following US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Iran’s parliament passed a law suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. A deal with the IAEA was reached on September 9 to resume some inspections, though diplomats say its scope remains limited.
“I am in New York to use these remaining days for diplomatic consultations that might lead to a solution,” Araghchi said. “If it is not found, we will continue our path.”