Iran on Monday warned that it would retaliate if the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) took steps to impose “snapback” sanctions as nations mull further action to halt Tehran’s nuclear development. 

“The threat to use the snapback mechanism lacks legal and political basis and will be met with an appropriate and proportionate response from the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei claimed during a press conference, according to a Reuters report.

Baghaei did not expand on how Iran would retaliate, but his threats come amid repeated warnings from security experts that time is running out to enforce the sanction mechanism by Oct. 18 under terms dictated by the 2015 nuclear deal. 

Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, speaks during a press conference in Tehran and warns of retaliation if the U.N. issues snapback sanctions, on July 14, 2025. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

The terms of the agreement are monitored by the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency – which Iran has already suspended cooperation with following U.S. and Israeli strikes against its nuclear program last month. 

“In a world in which Iran’s most likely response is to leave the NPT, one has to be confident in at least the ability of military threats to deter Iran further, or at least the credibility of America’s and Israel’s, or the international community’s, military options against Iran moving forward,” Ben Taleblu said. 

“The problem is the lack of a game plan. Has America provided Europe with a game plan, a road map for post-snapback?” he added, noting there needs to be a much larger strategy for next steps should sanctions be reinforced.

Though the U.S. assesses that Iran’s nuclear program has been stunted by up to two years, experts remain convinced that Tehran’s atomic ambitions have not been deterred, and its ties to terrorist networks and adversarial nations mean it remains a top security concern.

Trump has said he is still committed to negotiating with Iran on its nuclear program, though questions remain over how long he will continue to allow negotiations to drag out before a European nation like the U.K., France or Germany must step in to enact snapback sanctions not only before the October deadline, but before Russia takes over control of the UNSC presidency that month.

Pushing through the snapback mechanism is expected to be a roughly six-week process. 

A banner depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is placed next to a ballistic missile in Baharestan Square in Tehran on Sept. 26, 2024. (Hossein Beris/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Reports on Sunday suggested that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz could call up the snapback measures as soon as Tuesday, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee championed the move in a post on X. 

But Fox News Digital could not independently verify these claims and the German Foreign Ministry told Israeli news outlet JNS that the claims were incorrect. 

The chancellor’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions.