The decision by France, Germany and the United Kingdom to activate the so-called snapback mechanism showed from the outset that the three European countries were less concerned with the nature of Iran’s nuclear program than with proving their loyalty to Washington’s policies. In the Council’s recent session, this effort took the form of a resolution that only four countries supported, nine opposed and two abstained from. This very breakdown of votes showed that Europe’s move was not consensus-building, but limited and divisive.

Europe has once again been trapped in a snare that for years has eroded its diplomatic independence. By abusing Resolution 2231, they were not seeking the enforcement of law but the reproduction of political pressure on Iran. In other words, the three European countries, by sacrificing the JCPOA, also forfeited their legitimacy in global public opinion.

This move appears to be a legal maneuver, but in reality it is above all a document of Europe’s strategic crisis: a continent that, instead of defining independent interests, has become a bargaining tool for the United States against Iran, and even against China and Russia.

Dangerous contradictions; silence on aggression, pressure on diplomacy

Europe claims that Iran has failed in its nuclear commitments, but it has shown no reaction to the blatant aggressions of the Zionist regime and the United States against Iran’s safeguarded facilities. This silence means more than inaction; it signifies acceptance of the logic of aggression. While the UN Charter explicitly prohibits any attack on peaceful infrastructure, the three European countries did not even agree to a verbal condemnation of these assaults.

Instead, Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency on 9 September 2025 — which many regarded as a confidence-building and positive step — was effectively ignored by them. The glaring contradiction lies precisely here: Iran’s transparency is not counted, yet baseless allegations are used as a pretext for sanctions.

This behavior not only reduces the non-proliferation regime to a political plaything but also fuels the West’s legitimacy crisis at the global level. In a world where emerging powers are redefining order, the West, with such duplicities, only accelerates its own decline.

Iran’s selective diplomacy; the equation is reversed

The official position of the Islamic Republic of Iran in response to these developments went beyond a defensive stance. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s permanent representative to the UN, stated plainly: “The path of diplomacy is open, but we choose with whom we speak.” This sentence turns the equation of diplomacy upside down: Iran is no longer “in need” of negotiations, but rather holds the power of choice.

This shift in discourse carries strategic weight. Iran has shown that even under pressure, it can redefine the rules of the game. Selective diplomacy means moving beyond the old logic of “we must negotiate” towards the logic of “we can, and we choose to.” This transformation opens Iran’s hand further in shaping relations with the East, the Islamic world, and even with some independent European actors.

Iran’s selective diplomacy in fact sends a clear message to the West: Iran is ready for dialogue, but not just any dialogue. The choice lies with Tehran, not with European capitals.

Turning threat into opportunity; redefining balances

Europe’s recent move, outwardly a threat to Iran, can in practice turn into a strategic opportunity. The joint stance of China and Russia, which declared the return of sanctions “illegal and invalid,” showed that today’s world is no longer unipolar. Iran can capitalize on this position to strengthen its regional and international alliances.

Moreover, as Gharibabadi emphasized, “When there is no activity, snapback is meaningless.” This legal reality allows Iran, from a position of strength, to highlight the invalidity of Europe’s action. In addition, Tehran’s repeated emphasis on its right to respond proportionately to any illegal act sends a message to the West that pressure politics will not only fail, but will impose heavier costs on themselves.

The main opportunity for Iran lies here: converting external pressure into a tool of domestic legitimacy-building and strengthening strategic ties with the East. Europe and the United States may seek to corner Iran, but in practice they have opened a new path for Tehran — a path that could lead to a redefinition of balances in the Persian Gulf and even within the structure of the UN Security Council.