As the United Nations General Assembly convened in New York this week, the corridors buzzed with urgent diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear program. High-stakes negotiations unfolded behind closed doors, with European foreign ministers and Iranian officials scrambling to avert the automatic return of sweeping United Nations sanctions—an outcome that could further destabilize both Iran’s economy and the broader Middle East.
On September 23, 2025, foreign ministers from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union’s top envoy, Kaja Kallas, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York. The meeting, confirmed by Iran’s foreign ministry and widely reported by outlets such as AP and RFI, aimed to find a last-minute diplomatic solution before the so-called “snapback” mechanism would automatically reinstate sanctions by September 28. These sanctions, originally lifted under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), threaten to freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals, and stifle Iran’s ballistic missile development—a heavy blow for a nation already reeling from years of economic hardship.
The urgency was palpable. As German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told dpa, “the chances of reaching a diplomatic solution before the sanctions are automatically reimposed on Sunday are extremely slim.” European diplomats echoed this pessimism, with one telling RFI, “The ball is in Iran’s camp. 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.”
The roots of this crisis stretch back to June 13, 2025, when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated strikes on Iranian nuclear installations. Both countries claimed their actions had set back Iran’s nuclear program by up to two years—a claim that, as The Guardian noted, remains unverified due to a lack of independent oversight. In retaliation, Iran’s parliament passed a bill barring International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors from accessing its nuclear facilities, a move that compounded the international community’s anxiety. The IAEA, in a May 2025 report, admitted it “no longer had continuity of knowledge” regarding Iran’s nuclear activities, making it impossible to independently assess compliance or the true status of Iran’s nuclear materials.
Diplomacy has since been hampered by a breakdown in trust. Iran insists its nuclear program is purely peaceful, but European diplomats remain alarmed by Tehran’s growing stockpile of enriched uranium, limited access for inspectors, and a lack of progress toward fresh negotiations with the United States. “Iran has been disregarding its obligations under the Vienna Nuclear Agreement for years,” said German Foreign Minister Wadephul, referencing the JCPOA. “We have drawn the necessary consequences from this and triggered the so-called snapback mechanism, which will reinstate international sanctions against Iran at the end of this week.”
Iran, for its part, has bristled at what it sees as double standards. Iranian diplomats have publicly questioned the IAEA’s independence, arguing that the agency condemned Russian attacks on Ukrainian nuclear sites more forcefully than Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities. While the IAEA insists it has condemned both in equal measure, this perception has fueled mistrust. Iranian diplomats are now pushing for a UN resolution to bolster protections for civil nuclear infrastructure against military attacks—a move that, at least in principle, aligns with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s own advocacy for safeguarding nuclear sites in conflict zones.
The diplomatic impasse is further complicated by the fractured state of the original JCPOA coalition. The United States, which withdrew from the agreement under President Donald Trump in 2018, now appears uninterested in renewed negotiations. Iran, humiliated by the June strikes, refuses to engage directly with Washington. Russia, meanwhile, has drawn closer to Iran as Western sanctions over Ukraine have isolated Moscow. Only the UK, France, and Germany—the so-called E3—remain actively engaged in talks, offering to delay the reimposition of sanctions if Iran restores IAEA access and curbs its uranium enrichment.
Yet, as the deadline looms, the negotiating positions remain far apart. The E3’s offer reportedly includes suspending the sanctions trigger for up to six months if Iran allows full access for UN inspectors, reduces its enriched uranium reserves, and reopens channels with the United States. But Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a decisive blow to this prospect on September 23, publicly rejecting direct negotiations with the US in a speech broadcast on state television. This stance, as AP reported, effectively ties the hands of President Masoud Pezeshkian, who traveled to New York for the General Assembly but is now constrained from any outreach to American officials.
“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,” said Foreign Minister Araghchi on Iranian state TV, striking a tone that was both defiant and conciliatory. He confirmed ongoing contacts with E3 and EU officials, as well as IAEA Director General Grossi, in search of a breakthrough. “I am in New York to use these remaining days for diplomatic consultations that might lead to a solution,” Araghchi added.
Some progress was made earlier this month, when the IAEA and Iran reached an agreement in principle to allow inspectors to return for on-site inspections—including damaged nuclear sites and stocks of highly enriched uranium. However, the details remain hazy, with no agreed timeline for inspectors’ return or for Iran to resume providing data. This fragile compromise could easily be derailed if sanctions are reinstated, as Iran has threatened to suspend all cooperation with the IAEA should that happen.
European diplomats warn that even token gestures, such as limited inspector access or a special report from Iran, may not be enough to stave off the snapback. With the US poised to wield its veto and little trust on either side, the odds of a breakthrough appear slim. “Chances are slim,” one European official bluntly admitted to RFI.
President Pezeshkian has tried to project confidence, insisting that Iran will weather any renewed sanctions. Yet public frustration is mounting at home, with the country’s battered economy under increasing pressure. The outcome of these last-ditch negotiations in New York will not only determine the immediate fate of Iran’s nuclear program, but could also shape the future stability of the region.
With the clock ticking towards September 28, all eyes remain fixed on whether diplomacy can prevail over confrontation—or whether the world will witness the return of a sanctions regime that many hoped was relegated to the past.
