Iran International
Europe’s move to trigger the so-called snapback mechanism has sparked an online storm in Iran, ranging from despair and anger to calls for war, regime change, and nuclear weapons.
While those opposed to Tehran’s rule largely see in snapback a chance for collapse or regime change, hardliners dismiss the sanctions as psychological warfare and call for retaliation and escalation.
“If snapback is extended, what guarantee is there that six months later we won’t face demands over missiles?” an ultraconservative activist asked online. “Withdraw from the NPT, expel European ambassadors, block the Strait of Hormuz.”
Some went further still. “What rational reason is left not to build a nuclear bomb?” one user asked on X. Another warned: “From now on, any official who stands against developing nuclear weapons will not be remembered kindly in Iran’s history.”
Hardliners rallied under the hashtag “JCPOA is pure damage,” referring to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Many dismissed renewed UN sanctions as empty threats. “The uproar over snapback is merely psychological warfare,” one user insisted.
Others countered that the nuclear accord shielded Iran from Chapter VII sanctions and the threat of war for a decade and should not be discarded.
Journalist Hossein Yazdi recalled the grim days before the deal: “Ask those who remember how dire things were before the JCPOA. Was it not true that people in Khuzestan traded rice for Iraqi infant formula?”
Writer Mohammadreza Mohajer drew a parallel with Iraq before the 2003 invasion.
“It hardly matters whether we have 400 kilos of enriched uranium or 40 million tons—just as it didn’t matter whether Saddam had weapons of mass destruction,” he posted on X.
“Let’s not forget: we did not want Iran for enrichment; we wanted enrichment for Iran.”
‘Blessing in Disguise’
Some voices on the other extreme framed snapback as less a source of despair than a potential opening.
“Iranians are drowning anyway … But perhaps snapback will bring war, and with it a chance to break the chains,” one activist wrote. “Yes, we, the people of Iran, welcome snapback.”
Another argued that sanctions would finally “prove to the grey middle class that hoping for Khamenei to make concessions was always an illusion” and push them toward revolt.
Humor and anxiety
Not all reactions were grim. “How long does snapback take to kick in? It’s been a day since activation, and I don’t feel anything yet,” one user joked.
But humor quickly drew pushback. “Snapback is no laughing matter. It is about people’s daily bread, our children’s future, our very lives. How can anyone joke about this?” journalist Hoda Hashemi wrote.
Others highlighted the human cost more directly.
“The activation of snapback saddens me, because I know the burden will fall directly on the people … who had no role in creating this catastrophe,” diaspora activist Amin Pouria posted.
“But I would still mourn had it not been activated, because that would mean the Islamic Republic and Khamenei could once again breathe easy. Either way, the people suffer. Damn you for holding an entire nation hostage!”
