Sanctions and Iran’s active diplomacy: UNSC complex game

TEHRAN, (MNA) – The activation of the snapback mechanism has once again placed Iran’s name at the forefront of UN Security Council debates and international circles. Yet, the diplomatic realities extend far beyond the West’s media hype.

With an emphasis on seriousness and responsibility, Iran continues along the path of diplomacy and the search for peaceful solutions in the nuclear file.

Recent speeches at the Security Council, official letters to the UN Secretary-General and international counterparts, and Iran’s diplomatic activities show that Tehran is working to preserve its active and dominant position on the global stage.

These correspondences can challenge the European narrative that accuses Iran of failing to fulfill its JCPOA commitments and attempts to justify their stance. Sending and publicly releasing such letters, alongside statements issued by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, strengthens Tehran’s narrative that the European troika has misused the so-called snapback process.

Some analysts and experts believe that while these letters may appear defensive or reactive in the public eye and may not, on the ground, prevent the implementation of UN sanctions, they can nonetheless add layers of complexity to enforcement, bolster international support for giving diplomacy more space, and facilitate Iran’s trade with China and Russia.

From analysts’ perspective, UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and its restrictions will, in practice, expire as of October 18, 2025, and Iran is pursuing its path with legal backing and multilateral diplomacy.

The past decade shows that Iran’s efforts to reach agreements based on multilateralism have consistently been met with the excessive demands and broken promises of the European parties and the United States. The West’s strategy during these periods has been to create a blame game and accuse Iran, while in reality, the failure of negotiations has been due to Western negligence and violations.

International analysts believe that recognizing this reality is essential to correctly understanding the course of negotiations and assessing Iran’s diplomatic maneuvers.

Within this context, the role of China and Russia stands out. The positions of Beijing and Moscow demonstrate that they do not support the reimposition of UN sanctions, and their deep rifts with the US and Europe provide Iran with an opportunity to utilize the capacities of BRICS member states, limit the impact of sanctions, and complicate their implementation.

According to UN Security Council Resolution 1737, a special sanctions committee on Iran was created. This committee was tasked with overseeing the implementation of sanctions, reviewing countries’ reports on enforcement, handling violations, and making recommendations to the Council. Sanctions committees, as the executive arm of the Council’s resolutions, play a key role in imposing restrictions. Yet the active presence of China and Russia in these committees can hinder the full implementation of the snapback mechanism. This reality shows that the economic and psychological impact of sanctions is far less than what Western media portray. Iran, therefore, must seize this capacity and, through active diplomacy, neutralize unilateral pressures.

Nevertheless, Iran’s diplomatic track remains active, and the path of dialogue is not closed. Tehran’s recent engagements in international forums and the way it manages pressures reflect a policy rooted in prudence, careful planning, and reliance on multilateral capacities—an approach that, throughout history, has been one of the most effective tools for countering unilateral pressure and the West’s psychological warfare.