The European Union said on October 17 that it was maintaining sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program beyond a deadline in a landmark nuclear deal. Under the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and major powers, Tehran agreed to restrain its nuclear program in return for relief from Western sanctions. But the accord began unravelling in 2018 when then-U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from it and began reimposing sanctions. Iran retaliated by dropping some of its obligations under the agreement. The EU sanctions remaining in place include blacklisting missile manufacturers and affiliates of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps.
