CaliToday (): In a defiant address on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that his nation would overcome any re-imposition of United Nations sanctions, following a UN Security Council vote that paved the way for their return through the "snapback" mechanism.
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"With the 'snapback,' they block the road, but it is our minds and new thinking that will open or build a new path," Pezeshkian stated in a televised address to the nation. His comments signal a hardened stance amid escalating diplomatic pressure.
Evoking a spirit of resilience, the president referenced past adversities, including alleged foreign attacks on Iran's nuclear infrastructure. "They cannot stop us. They can strike Natanz or Fordow," he said, referring to the nuclear facilities reportedly attacked by the U.S. and Israel in June, "but they don't know that it is our people who built, and will rebuild, Natanz."
The Security Council's move on Friday came after the United Kingdom, France, and Germany initiated a 30-day process last month to reimpose the sanctions. The European powers accuse Tehran of failing to comply with the 2015 nuclear accord (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA), which was designed to prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently denied any such ambition.
The "snapback" process is a contentious provision of the 2015 deal that allows a party to unilaterally trigger the restoration of all previous UN sanctions if they believe Iran is in significant non-compliance. Unless an agreement is reached to delay the process within the next week, a host of stringent international restrictions will automatically be reapplied.
"We will never surrender to excessive demands because we have the capability to change the situation," Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by state media.
This rhetoric of defiance was amplified by Iran's top security body. In a stark warning issued separately on Saturday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council stated that the country's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be "seriously suspended" if the UN sanctions were restored.
This threat carries significant weight, as it comes just weeks after Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog announced a fragile agreement to resume inspections at key sites, including some previously targeted in military strikes. Details of that agreement, however, have not been made public.
The looming sanctions that would be "snapped back" are comprehensive and severe. They include:
A full arms embargo.
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing.
A prohibition on activities related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
A global asset freeze and travel ban on numerous Iranian individuals and entities.
The unfolding situation places Iran on a direct collision course with key Western powers, escalating tensions and casting further uncertainty over the future of international efforts to monitor and constrain its nuclear program.
