A high-level informed Iranian source has told the Tehran Times that activating the disputed “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran would force a “very strong” reaction from Iran, deal a serious blow to global non-proliferation efforts, and permanently destroy the path of diplomacy.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Western states have miscalculated Iran’s resolve and operate under the “perception” that Tehran would not respond forcefully to such a move. "We consider leaving the snapback unanswered as a path towards greater tension," the source said.
The so-called snapback mechanism is a clause of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It allows signatories to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran should they find it noncompliant. Iranians contend that activating the snapback under the current circumstances is illegal and immoral, as the U.S. left the pact in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions, the Europeans subsequently scrapped their own commitments, and Iran’s nuclear facilities came under attack by Washington and Israel this past June.
The Europeans, nonetheless, appear adamant about triggering the mechanism. While the return of UN sanctions would not add to the long list of economic sanctions targeting Iran - as they were largely re-imposed after Washington left the JCPOA in 2018 - it could have temporary effects on Iran’s currency market and further affect the value of the Iranian Rial.
While Iran previously said it would leave the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) if the snapback were triggered, it now appears to believe such a move would mean it should no longer negotiate its nuclear program with the West. "With the activation of the snapback mechanism, neither Iran's economy nor its internal unity will be destroyed; but the negotiations will certainly be destroyed," the source said.
MNA