WANA (Jul 19) – A senior Iranian lawmaker has warned that Tehran may withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as its “minimum and first option” in response to any activation of the UN snapback sanctions mechanism.

 

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said that the UN snapback mechanism is already effectively in place, and its formal activation would not bring any meaningful change to Iran’s current situation.

 

“Let me clarify two points about the snapback mechanism. First, it is already active in practice. If it’s officially triggered, nothing new will really happen. From a practical and situational standpoint, we are already living under snapback conditions — that is, under maximum pressure,” Rezaei said.

 

He continued by stressing that the final outcome of the snapback process could be a return to Chapter VII of the UN Security Council, which allows for coercive measures, including military force. However, he argued that Iran has already experienced such aggression.

 

“At the end of the snapback mechanism, we return to Chapter VII of the Security Council. And what lies at the very end of that path? War. But we’ve already been through that. They attacked us — our military commandars, sites, nuclear facilities and people were attacked, and the country was effectively engaged in war. So they shouldn’t scare of that anymore,” he stated.

 

On the economic side, Rezaei pointed out that following U.S. President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal, all sanctions returned, including advanced “smart” and “maximum pressure” sanctions. Other countries followed suit, and Iran continues to endure those pressures.

 

“Nothing will really change if the snapback is reactivated now. At most, it might have a psychological effect,” he added.

 

Iran Has Multiple Options to Respond

Rezaei emphasized that Iran is not without tools to respond to any legal or administrative move to activate the snapback mechanism.

 

“We’re not defenseless, and we don’t have just one option. One likely response could be leaving the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty],” he warned.

 

He added that Iran could also accelerate its nuclear program, particularly with new-generation centrifuges.

 

“We can pursue the research, development, production, and deployment of advanced centrifuges. We haven’t done that yet, but we can begin now. Parliament could even pass a law making it mandatory.”

 

According to current legislation passed by Iran’s parliament, the government is obligated to enrich uranium up to 60%. Rezaei suggested that this level could be raised.

 

“We could increase enrichment to 90% or more. That’s another available option.”

 

Prepared for Any Confrontation

Rezaei also warned against possible moves to target Iranian ships around the world, noting that such threats have been made before.

 

“This has happened in the past — during Trump’s presidency. But when we responded, it created deterrence. They stopped,” he recalled.

 

“Even now, when the snapback isn’t formally triggered on paper, if our enemies had the ability to harm us, they wouldn’t hesitate. It’s up to us to be strong enough to defend what we have.”

Army air defence firing is seen following the Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, June 14, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)