TEHRAN — Iran’s foreign policy faces a critical test following the weekend reinstatement of UN Security Council resolutions that reimpose sanctions in response to Tehran’s violations of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). 

The UK, France and Germany — known as the E3 — activated the agreement's snapback mechanism, triggering a cascade of international sanctions. In reaction, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has embarked on a relentless diplomatic push, urging other countries not to abide by the measures. Through letters to his counterparts and statements to the media, Araghchi has framed the snapback as "entirely unfounded, unlawful and invalid," according to state media reports. 

Tehran's strategy aims to leverage the political and economic weight of China and Russia to minimize the snapback's impact.

Iranian officials argue that the UN Security Council cannot reinstate sanctions given that Washington withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018. Araghchi has cited the support of permanent UNSC members opposing the sanctions' return — namely Russia and China — as reinforcing Iran's position.