In comments at a press conference on Tuesday, the spokeswoman for the administration, Fatemeh Mohajerani, said the cabinet had “used every diplomatic capacity” to prevent the activation of the snapback mechanism.

“We were engaged in negotiations before the 12-day war erupted, which shows that Iran has always pursued diplomacy,” she stated.

Mohajerani added that the administration had anticipated different scenarios, including the current situation, and is now moving forward “with a clear and defined approach,” adopting a new posture to manage the emerging conditions.

Asked about the government’s diplomatic direction, she said strengthening ties with neighboring countries remains central to Iran’s strategy. She also highlighted the administration’s efforts to expand regional diplomacy, deepen relations with organizations such as the Eurasian Economic Union, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and utilize mechanisms such as barter trade and cross-border economic zones.

The snapback mechanism was a provision within the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which had been endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231. The mechanism was designed as a safeguard allowing any JCPOA participant to “snap back” all previously lifted UN sanctions against Iran if Tehran were deemed to be in “significant non-performance” of its nuclear commitments.

The European parties to the JCPOA (the UK, France, and Germany — known as the EU3), in coordination with the United States, invoked this mechanism, claiming that Iran had failed to uphold its nuclear obligations. The move came after years of escalating tensions surrounding the deal’s implementation, following the US withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 and the reimposition of unilateral American sanctions on Iran.

By activating the snapback mechanism, the EU3 and the US effectively reinstated all UN sanctions that had been terminated under Resolution 2231, including restrictions on Iran’s arms trade, ballistic missile activities, and nuclear-related programs.

This action was taken despite strong opposition from other JCPOA participants — particularly Russia and China — as well as from Iran, which has rejected the legitimacy of the move, arguing that Resolution 2231 and all its nuclear-related restrictions must be deemed terminated in line with the resolution’s provisions on October 18.