On Monday, Iran issued a strong warning against the potential imposition of ‘snapback’ sanctions by the United Nations Security Council, vowing retaliation if the mechanism is activated. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, stated that the threat to use the snapback mechanism lacks legal and political basis and will be met with an appropriate and proportionate response from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Baghaei did not expand on the specific nature of the retaliation, but his statements come amid repeated warnings from security experts that time is running out to enforce the sanction mechanism by Oct. 18, as stipulated by the 2015 nuclear deal. The comments were made in the context of the 10-year anniversary of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was designed to halt Iran’s nuclear development. However, some argue that the agreement has been insufficient in deterring Tehran.
Under the terms of the JCPOA, any signatory can unilaterally call up snapback sanctions if Iran is found to have violated the terms of the agreement. Despite repeated calls by the U.S. to enforce snapback sanctions, which would legally require all 15 U.N. members on the council, including Russia, to reimpose sanctions on Iran, no action has been taken yet.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran program, noted that the potential for Iran to abandon the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is a significant concern. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive strategy post-snapback, highlighting the lack of a clear game plan for Europe if sanctions are enforced.
While the U.S. believes Iran’s nuclear program has been delayed by up to two years, experts remain unconvinced that Tehran’s atomic ambitions have been significantly deterred. The country’s ties to terrorist networks and adversarial nations continue to pose a major security threat. Trump’s continued commitment to negotiations and the potential for a European nation to enforce snapback sanctions before the October deadline remain key uncertainties.
Reports suggested that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz could initiate snapback measures as early as Tuesday, with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee championing the move. However, these claims were later debunked by the German Foreign Ministry, which stated that the information was incorrect. The chancellor’s office did not respond to further inquiries regarding the issue.