The Snapback Trap: Why the West is Pushing Iran Toward the Security Council

United Nations Resolution twenty-two thirty-one allows sanctions to return automatically through a thirty-day dead man's switch.

The snapback mechanism reverses the standard voting burden by requiring a veto to stop sanctions from returning.

Western powers invoked the formal snapback process in September twenty-twenty-five to maintain legal pressure on Tehran.

Iran has denied international inspectors access to the reinforced Pickaxe Mountain tunnel complex near Natanz.

Deep-earth engineering at underground sites has created a monitoring stalemate by limiting the effectiveness of satellite imagery.

Formal referrals for non-compliance aim to protect the global credibility of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.