As of September 28, 2025, the UN Security Council sanctions against Iran have been fully reinstated.
This decision was adopted at the initiative of leading European states – Great Britain, Germany, and France – in response to Tehran's refusal to allow IAEA inspectors into its nuclear facilities. Thus, all restrictions suspended within the framework of the nuclear agreement signed in 2015 (arms embargo, strict prohibitions in the energy and financial sectors, freezing of foreign assets) are once again coming into force.
Although the reinstatement of sanctions primarily affects Iran, this decision has also complicated Russia's plans. It should be recalled that Moscow and Tehran reached an initial agreement in 2024, and in early 2025, an agreement was signed regarding the transit of Russian gas through Iranian territory. Azerbaijan was envisioned as the main route for the transit of this gas.
However, amidst international restrictions, it remains an open question whether Azerbaijan will participate in this project.
In a statement to Modern.az, former diplomat Nasib Nasibli stated that the transportation of Russian gas through Azerbaijan to Iran could lead to the application of sanctions against our country as well:
“The issue of transporting Russian gas through Azerbaijan to Iran is not new. In the current strained relations with Russia, and given the desire to establish normal relations with Europe and the West, I believe that Russia's proposals in this direction will not be accepted by the government. Otherwise, sanctions could also be extended to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan could find itself in a very difficult situation.”
The former diplomat emphasized that international relations are extremely complex:
“There are so many nuances in international relations that we are unaware of, perhaps constituting only 5% of the processes we know. Sometimes a very important issue emerges, and people are surprised, wondering where it came from. Therefore, at this moment, it can be said that the probability of the Azerbaijani government accepting this proposal is very low.”
N. Nasibli stated that this issue is Russia's own problem:
"Let it think as it wishes. Azerbaijan must stand behind its own interests.”
