By Sophie Wingate

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The UK has imposed sanctions on 71 Iranian individuals and organisations linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme amid concerns it is developing nuclear weapons.

It follows a decision in August by the UK, France and Germany to revive sweeping UN-backed sanctions on Iran after efforts to restart diplomatic talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme stalled.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the sanctions package targeting Iranian financial institutions and energy companies “sends a clear message” to Tehran that Britain “will continue to take every step necessary to prevent Iran ever developing a nuclear weapon”.

Iran has said its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes but it has enriched uranium to levels exceeding that required for civil nuclear power, in breach of a deal agreed with western nations in 2015.

The three European powers set out plans last month to reimpose a series of sanctions, made by UN resolution, which were suspended when the 2015 agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was made with the aim of stopping the development of nuclear weaponry.

A 30-day period in which the UK, France and Germany hoped talks that would delay sanctions could take place has now ended without an agreement by Iran to step back its nuclear ambitions.

Ms Cooper said: “Iran’s nuclear programme has long been a serious concern to the international community, as a significant threat to global peace and security.

“The international community has repeatedly given Iran a chance to provide credible assurances about the intent of the programme, which they have repeatedly failed to do.

“Since Iran first stopped complying with the JCPOA nuclear deal in 2019, accumulating a stockpile of enriched uranium 48 times over the limit, we have committed significant time and effort to resolve these issues through negotiation.

“In July, we offered Iran a final chance to avoid sanctions being reapplied, but Iran chose not to engage.

“We will continue to pursue diplomatic routes and negotiations and we continue to urge Iran to comply.

“This sanctions package sends a clear message to Tehran – we will continue to take every step necessary to prevent Iran ever developing a nuclear weapon.”

Iran has built up a stockpile of enriched uranium 48 times the JCPOA limit and enriched more than 440 kilograms to 60% — a level and scale reached by no other nation without nuclear weapons, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Under the new UK measures, 60 entities face asset freezes and director disqualification orders, two more are subject to asset freezes, and nine individuals have been hit with asset freezes, director disqualifications and travel bans.

Iran’s ministry of energy and ministry of petroleum are subject to asset freezes, while firms hit with asset freezes and director disqualifications include First Islamic Investment Bank, Persia International Bank Plc, Post Bank of Iran, Iran Aluminium Company and National Iranian Oil Company.

The UK will introduce legislation in the coming days to meet its UN Iran sanctions obligations, followed by further sectoral measures targeting finance, energy, shipping, software and other industries driving Iran’s nuclear escalation, the FCDO said.

The UK, France and Germany, known collectively as the E3, on Sunday confirmed the reinstatement of widespread UN economic and military sanctions after they triggered a “snapback” of measures frozen in 2015 when Tehran committed to developing its nuclear power infrastructure without straying into making nuclear bombs.

The E3 said in a statement: “Given that Iran repeatedly breached these commitments, the E3 had no choice but to trigger the snapback procedure, at the end of which those resolutions were brought back into force.”

Iran’s stockpile is today “entirely outside” of monitoring by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the statement added.

Relations between Iran and the West were already strained after Israel and the US attacked Iranian nuclear facilities in June.