Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1975 of 29 September 2025 amending Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 concerning restrictive measures against Iran

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 215 thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1972 of 29 September 2025 amending Decision 2010/413/CSFP concerning restrictive measures against Iran (1),

Having regard to the joint proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) On 26 July 2010, the Council adopted Decision 2010/413/CFSP (2) and on 23 March 2012, the Council adopted Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 (3), concerning restrictive measures against Iran.

(2) On 14 July 2015, China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, supported by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the ‘High Representative’), reached an agreement with Iran on a long-term comprehensive solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. The full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme, and provide for the comprehensive lifting of all nuclear-related sanctions.

(3) On 20 July 2015, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 2231 (2015) endorsing the JCPOA as a long-term comprehensive solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

(4) On 18 October 2015, the Council adopted Declaration 2015/C 345/01 (4), noting that the commitment to lift all Union nuclear-related sanctions in accordance with the JCPOA was without prejudice to the dispute resolution mechanism set out in the JCPOA and to the reintroduction of Union sanctions in case of significant non-performance by Iran of its commitments under the JCPOA. Furthermore, the Council committed to reintroducing without delay all Union nuclear-related sanctions that had been suspended or terminated, in the event of significant non-performance by Iran of its commitments under the JCPOA upon a joint recommendation to the Council by the High Representative, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

(5) On 28 August 2025, the High Representative, as Coordinator of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA (the ‘Coordinator’), and the President of the UNSC received a letter from the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom related to the implementation of the JCPOA. Through this letter, the Foreign Ministers notified the UNSC that, based on factual evidence, they believed Iran to be in significant non-performance of its commitments under the JCPOA, thereby opening the procedure to reinstate the UN sanctions lifted under UNSC Resolution 2231 (2015), in line with paragraph 11 of UNSC Resolution 2231 (2015).

(6) On 29 August 2025, in line with Council Declaration 2015/C 345/01, the High Representative, France and Germany sent a joint recommendation to the Council, recommending that all Union nuclear-related sanctions that had been suspended or terminated, or both, be reintroduced without delay once the UN sanctions have been re-instated, in line with UNSC Resolution 2231 (2015).

(7) By 27 September 2025, the UNSC had not adopted a new resolution to continue lifting sanctions within 30 days of the notification of 28 August 2025. Therefore, in line with the provisions of paragraph 37 of the JCPOA, the provisions of UNSC Resolutions 1696 (2006), 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008), 1835 (2008) and 1929 (2010) will be re-imposed.

(8) In line with the provision set out in paragraph 37 of the JCPOA, the re-imposition of restrictive measures is not to apply with retroactive effect to contracts concluded before 30 September 2025, or of ancillary contracts for the execution of such contracts, provided that the activities contemplated under, and the execution of, such contracts are consistent with the JCPOA and the re-imposed provisions.

(9) On 29 September 2025, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2025/1972, amending Decision 2010/413/CFSP.

(10) The power to amend the lists in Annexes VIII and IX to Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 should be exercised by the Council in order to ensure consistency with the process for amending the annexes to Decision (CFSP) 2025/1972.

(11) The measures in this Regulation fall within the scope of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and therefore, in particular with a view to ensuring their uniform application in all Member States, regulatory action at the level of the Union is necessary.

(12) Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 is amended as follows:

(3) Articles 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d are deleted;

(6) Article 10d is replaced by the following: ‘Article 10d

(8) Article 15a is replaced by the following: ‘Article 15a

(10) in Article 23, paragraph 4 is replaced by the following: ‘4.   Without prejudice to the derogations provided for in Articles 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 28a or 29, it shall be prohibited to supply specialised financial messaging services, which are used to exchange financial data to the natural or legal persons, entities or bodies listed in Annexes VIII and IX.’

(11) Article 23a is deleted;

(13) Article 28b is deleted;

(16) Articles 36 and 37 are replaced by the following: ‘CHAPTER VI (5)  Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 establishing the Community Customs Code (OJ L 302, 19.10.1992, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1992/2913/oj)." (6)  Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code (OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1993/2454/oj).’;"

(19) the following article is inserted: ‘Article 39 For the purposes of Articles 8 and 9, Article 17(2), point (b), and Articles 30 and 35, any body, entity or holder of rights derived from an original award before 30 September 2025 by a sovereign Government other than Iran, of a production sharing agreement shall not be considered an Iranian person, entity or body. In such cases and in relation to Article 8, the competent authority of the Member State may require appropriate end-user guarantees from any body or entity for any sale, supply, transfer or export of any key equipment or technology listed in Annex VI.’

(21) Article 41 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 41 It shall be prohibited to participate, knowingly and intentionally, in activities the object or effect of which is to circumvent the measures in Article 2, 4a, 4b, 5(1), 8, 9, 10a, 10b, 10d, 10e, 11, 13, 14a, 15a, 15b, 17, 22, 23, 30, 30a, 34, 35, 37a or 37b.’

(22) in Article 42, the following paragraph is inserted: ‘3.   The disclosure in good faith, as provided for in Articles 30 and 31 by a person, entity or body covered by this Regulation or an employee or director of such person, entity or body, of the information referred to in Articles 30 and 31 shall not give rise to liability of any kind on the part of the institution or person or its directors or employees.’

(26) the Annexes are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 29 September 2025.

For the Council The President M. BØDSKOV

(1) OJ L, 2025/1972, 29.9.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1972/oj.

(2) Council Decision 2010/413/CFSP of 26 July 2010 concerning restrictive measures against Iran and repealing Common Position 2007/140/CFSP (OJ L 195, 27.7.2010, p. 39, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2010/413/oj).

(3) Council Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 concerning restrictive measures against Iran and repealing Regulation (EU) No 961/2010 (OJ L 88, 24.3.2012, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/267/oj).

(4) Council Declaration 2015/C 345/1 of 18 October 2015 (OJ C 345, 18.10.2015, p. 1).