Following the meeting between International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Cairo, it was announced that an agreement had been reached between Tehran and the nuclear watchdog. At first glance, this development appeared to offer a glimmer of progress in the long, drawn-out saga over Iran’s nuclear program. Yet, once both sides returned to their respective capitals, the narrative quickly unraveled. Araghchi insisted that no agreement had been struck that would in any way violate legislation passed by the Iranian parliament, which bans IAEA inspectors from accessing nuclear sites deemed “sensitive” by Tehran. In other words, the supposed agreement had already collapsed before the ink was dry.
This episode highlights a familiar cycle that has characterized more than two decades of dealings between the Iranian regime and its international counterparts. Temporary agreements, photo opportunities, and vague promises often dominate the headlines, while the deeper reality of Iran’s pattern of deceit remains overlooked. Behind the diplomatic theater lies a regime that has consistently misled not only the IAEA but also the broader international community about the scope and intent of its nuclear activities. From secret enrichment facilities to undeclared stockpiles of enriched uranium, Iran’s track record is replete with violations of both its own commitments and international norms.
The current situation is not a one-off misunderstanding but part of a long-standing strategy of obfuscation. Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015, Iran agreed to significant restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Yet even under that framework, Tehran was repeatedly caught concealing activities, blocking inspections, and testing the patience of its negotiating partners. More tellingly, Iranian officials have frequently admitted, often to domestic audiences, that negotiations are simply a means of buying time while the regime continues to advance its nuclear know-how behind the scenes.
As the United Nations General Assembly convenes next week, world powers must recognize this reality for what it is. The temptation to treat every round of negotiations as a potential breakthrough has consistently played into Tehran’s hands. Time and again, the Iranian leadership has employed delay tactics: agreeing to meet again, floating ambiguous promises, and blaming Western powers for any collapse in talks. Meanwhile, its nuclear program marches forward. The international community cannot afford to reward this deception with yet another cycle of fruitless diplomacy.
The clearest path forward lies in the activation of the Snapback mechanism, a provision built into the UN Security Council framework that allows for the automatic reimposition of international sanctions in the event of Iranian noncompliance. The mechanism was designed precisely for moments like this—when Tehran flagrantly undermines agreements while attempting to run down the clock on enforcement. To refuse to use Snapback now would send a dangerous signal: that Iran’s lies and stalling tactics carry no consequences.
The call for decisive action is not limited to diplomats and policymakers. Earlier in September, tens of thousands of Iranians and supporters of the Iranian democratic opposition gathered in Brussels in a massive rally. Their message resonated far beyond the confines of European capitals. Rejecting both the false choice of war and the failed strategy of appeasement, the demonstrators emphasized that true change in Iran will not come from foreign concessions or military intervention. Instead, it lies in the hands of the Iranian people themselves—working in conjunction with an organized resistance movement that has long challenged the clerical regime’s monopoly on power.
The Brussels rally effectively served as a referendum on the legitimacy and popularity of the alternative vision for Iran, one embodied in the Ten-point Plan articulated by opposition leader Maryam Rajavi. Her platform outlines a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic for Iran. The principles underpinning the plan are clear: universal suffrage, gender equality, the separation of religion and state, the abolition of the death penalty, and peaceful coexistence with neighboring states. It is a vision that stands in stark contrast to the repressive, theocratic system that currently rules Tehran—a system that thrives on deception abroad and brutality at home.
The contrast between Tehran’s representatives at the negotiation table and the voices raised in Brussels could not be sharper. On the one hand, the regime continues to trade in half-truths and empty commitments, seeking to extract concessions while giving up as little as possible. On the other, the Iranian people and their organized resistance call for a future rooted in democracy, human rights, and international peace. The choice for the international community is not between diplomacy and war, as Tehran often portrays it, but between rewarding deception and supporting genuine democratic aspirations.
For too long, some Western capitals have fallen prey to the false hope that Iran’s rulers might reform if given enough incentives. But decades of experience, from the concealment of nuclear sites in Natanz and Fordow to repeated violations of IAEA monitoring agreements, prove otherwise. Tehran does not negotiate in good faith. It maneuvers, manipulates, and misleads. Each new “agreement” is merely another chapter in a playbook designed to buy time and entrench its nuclear capabilities.
The world must take the regime at its actions, not its words. The activation of Snapback sanctions would not only reimpose economic and political pressure on Tehran but also signal to its leaders that their strategy of delay and deception has reached its end. At the same time, amplifying the voices of Iranians calling for democratic change would show that the world understands the true source of legitimacy lies not with unelected clerics but with the people themselves.
As world leaders gather in New York for the General Assembly, they face a critical choice. They can once again extend the cycle of fruitless negotiations, allowing Tehran to exploit diplomatic patience while continuing its nuclear advancements. Or they can act decisively—by enforcing existing mechanisms like Snapback and by listening to the Iranian people who have suffered the most from the regime’s lies and repression.
The stakes could not be higher. The credibility of international institutions, the stability of the Middle East, and the future of nuclear non-proliferation all hang in the balance. The time has come to acknowledge reality: Iran’s regime has no intention of abandoning its nuclear ambitions voluntarily. Only firm action, coupled with support for democratic alternatives, can ensure that deception is no longer rewarded and that hope for a free and democratic Iran can take root.
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