Iran nuclear sanctions: guidance
Statutory guidance for the Iran nuclear sanctions regime, plus a summary of its purposes, scope and prohibitions.
Documents
Details
The Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, and certain other regulations, are in force to implement certain UN obligations and to meet the UK’s policy objectives.
This summary gives a quick overview of the sanctions in place under the regime. It is not comprehensive and is not a replacement for the statutory guidance or the regulations themselves.
Summary
Regime is limited in scope to:
- sanctions targeting designated persons
- sanctions in respect of:
- military goods and technology
- restricted goods and technology
- nuclear and missile list goods and technology
Designated persons
The UK Sanctions List tells you who is designated under the regime and which sanctions have been applied to them. A designated person can be an individual, a business or an organisation.
The statutory guidance lists in detail the sanctions that can apply in respect of designated persons, including:
- an asset freeze on their funds and other assets
- making available funds or economic resources to them or for their benefit
- director disqualification
- immigration sanction (travel ban)
Sanctioned goods and services
You must not export or otherwise supply or transfer to Iran or for use in Iran, or to a person connected with Iran certain goods in these categories (this is not an exhaustive list):
- military, security and para-military goods, software and technology and arms, ammunition and related material
- missile-related goods and technology
- nuclear-related goods and technology
- graphite and relevant metals
- relevant enterprise resource planning software
Related financial services, brokering services and technical assistance may also be subject to sanctions.
You must not enable a person connected with Iran to participate in or increase their participation in certain specified commercial activities involving uranium mining.
You must not provide bunkering or ship supply services to a ship, or engineering or maintenance services to a cargo aircraft, that is owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by a person connected with Iran, where the ship or aircraft is carrying relevant restricted items.
You must not import from Iran (including originally consigned from Iran) or (for technology) acquire from a place in Iran:
- military, security and para-military goods, software and technology and arms, ammunition and related material
- missile-list goods and technology
- nuclear-list goods and technology
- other restricted goods and technology
Updates to this page
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Added summary of the regime's purposes, scope and prohibitions.
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Page has been updated for better clarity and usability. No material changes to text.
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Changes to the guidance reflect the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 which implements the UK's UN obligations post 'Snapback'.
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Page navigation has been updated for better usability. No material changes to text.
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These changes reflect the Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No.2) Regulations 2024 and taken together make a range of technical changes with the purpose of improving OFSI’s ability to gather intelligence on industry’s compliance with financial sanctions, strengthen OFSI’s enforcement powers, enable OFSI to conduct its licensing responsibilities more efficiently, and clarify financial sanctions legislation where there is existing uncertainty.
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References to 'Import Case Management System' updated to 'Apply for an import licence' to reflect new service name. Email address and links also updated.
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Updated to reflect provisions of UN Humanitarian Exception SI
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First published.