The snapback sanctions, which were lifted on Iran under a landmark 2015 deal, will be re-imposed on the country on Sunday after China and Russia failed to secure the interim relief in the UNSC.
The re-imposition of the sanctions will end the diplomatic negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program that Tehran views as rightful and critical for the country.
Tehran has been accused of refusing to cooperate with the IAEA while abandoning talks with the US. Though the E3 nations, including Germany, France and the UK, did not take into consideration the illegal attacks carried out by Israel and the United States.
The sanctions target companies, organisations and individuals that contribute directly or indirectly to Iran’s nuclear program or the development of its ballistic missiles.
Tehran possesses the highest number of ballistic missiles in the world. Under the sanctions, an arms embargo on conventional weapons will be placed, restricting the sale and purchase of the weapons from and to Iran.
Extending to Imports, exports or transfers of parts and technologies related to the nuclear and ballistic program will be prohibited. The assets belonging to Iranian persons or groups linked to the nuclear program will also be frozen. Followed by a ban on the individuals designated as participating in prohibited nuclear activities, they may be banned from travelling to UN member states.
The accounts linked to suspected persons funnelling money to Iran for the nuclear program will be frozen. Besides the broad sanctions imposed under the UNSC protocols, separate measures may also be taken by the EU. The goal is to hit the Iranian economy, aimed at hampering nuclear activity, but inflict as much financial pain as possible.
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Western nations fear that Iran will acquire nuclear weapons, which Tehran vehemently denies while defending its right to develop a nuclear program for civilian purposes.
The "snapback" process reactivates UN resolutions, but their practical implementation requires UN member states to update their laws to comply. In that case, China and Russia can both manage their trade ties with Iran and continue their bilateral relations without imposing any sanctions.
Both China and Russia, along with Pakistan and Algeria, supported a resolution demanding sanctions relief on Iran.
The problem, however, is that with strong backing from China and Russia and very strong diplomatic support from Pakistan, it would encourage Tehran to not only navigate the sanctions as they have previously but might also hasten the development of nuclear weapons. In both scenarios, it's going to be disadvantageous for the West, as they may not be able to restrict Tehran by force to abandon its nuclear enrichment demand.
The enrichment would only increase the chances of escalation between Israel and Iran and might also trigger a nuclear arms race in the region, which would be catastrophic for the Middle East.
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