Canada implements reinstated UN sanctions on Iran over nuclear activities

What happened

Global Affairs Canada said Canada is implementing United Nations sanctions on Iran related to nuclear proliferation activities, reflecting the reimposition of UN nuclear-related sanctions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) framework.

The department said that, as a UN member state, Canada is legally bound to implement binding UN Security Council (UNSC) decisions adopted under Chapter VII, and that Canada incorporates such decisions into domestic law through regulations under the United Nations Act.

Why the UN sanctions were reinstated

According to the backgrounder, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed in 2003 the existence of previously undeclared nuclear facilities in Iran, which it said was in violation of Iran’s Safeguards Agreement under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). It said the IAEA Board of Governors reported Iran’s nuclear program to the UNSC in February 2006, and the UNSC imposed a series of sanctions between December 2006 and June 2010.

The backgrounder said the JCPOA, concluded on July 14, 2015, established a “snapback” mechanism allowing for the automatic reimposition of UN sanctions if Iran was found in significant non-compliance.

It said that on Aug. 28, 2025, France, Germany and the United Kingdom informed the UNSC of Iran’s “significant non-performance” of its JCPOA commitments, triggering the snapback mechanism under UN Security Council resolution 2231 (2015). The backgrounder said that on Sept. 19, 2025, a UNSC resolution to extend sanctions relief failed to achieve sufficient support, resulting in the automatic reimposition of UN nuclear-related sanctions on Iran.

Canada’s legal implementation

The department said Canada established the Regulations Implementing the United Nations Resolutions on Iran in 2007.

It also said Canada amended its autonomous measures under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations in 2016 to reflect progress under the JCPOA while maintaining controls on sensitive goods linked to nuclear proliferation and Iran’s ballistic missile program. In October 2023, Canada said it further amended those autonomous measures to roll over and incorporate UN sanctions that expired on Oct. 18, 2023.