Sanctions were restored on Saturday under the snapback mechanism after talks between Tehran and European powers collapsed. Iranian officials told Reuters the measures will intensify isolation and fuel public anger, though concessions to the West could fracture the ruling elite.
“The clerical establishment is trapped between a rock and a hard place. The existence of the Islamic Republic is in peril,” one official said.
The revived sanctions -- including limits on oil, banking, finance, uranium enrichment, and a global arms embargo -- come amid fears of renewed Israeli strikes.
“The chances of war breaking out are significant,” former lawmaker Gholamali Jafarzade Imenabadi told Iranian media.
Iranian leaders say the sanctions will push them to harden their nuclear stance, but divisions have emerged inside the establishment. Some urge escalation, while others see “no war, no deal, and continued talks” as the least risky path, Reuters said.
Public frustration is rising under inflation estimated at 40–50%, with food, housing and utilities costs surging. “We already struggle to make ends meet. More sanctions mean more economic pressure. How are we going to survive?” said Shima, a 36-year-old teacher in Tehran.
Iran has relied on oil sales to China to avoid collapse, but officials warn the revived UN measures could threaten even that lifeline.
