The Council decided to take the necessary steps to maintain the restrictive measures under the EU non-proliferation regime on Iran.

The Council evaluated that there are valid reasons to refrain from lifting these restrictions on Transition Day (18 October 2023), as originally foreseen under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). The Council’s decision is in line with the provisions of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the JCPoA, in view of Iran not fulfilling its commitments under the JCPoA, as reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency since 2019.

The Council adopted legal acts to maintain the designations, that had initially been imposed by the United Nations for individuals and entities involved in nuclear or ballistic missiles activities or affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Council also agreed to maintain sectoral and individual measures, existing under the EU’s sanctions regime, notably those related to Iran nuclear proliferation, as well as arms and missile embargoes.

These steps do not amount to the imposition of additional EU sanctions on Iran. Moreover, all EU sanctions that had already been lifted under the JCPoA remain lifted.

This decision is in line with the EU's commitment to the full implementation of the JCPoA, as expressed in Council conclusions in December 2022. The decision follows the letter received on 14 September 2023, by the High Representative as Coordinator of the Joint Commission of the JCPoA, from the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom within the setting of the JCPoA’s Dispute Resolution Mechanism, that they had triggered in January 2020. The ministers stated that they stand ready to reverse their decision, should Iran fully implement its JCPoA commitments.