Tehran has been preparing "for years" to counter the possible reimposition of U.N. sanctions under the existing nuclear deal's "snapback" mechanism, Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday as tensions over stalled nuclear talks threaten to renew conflict between Iran and the West.Newsweek has reached out to European Commission's foreign affairs spokesperson for comment.Why It MattersThe E3 nations of France, Germany and the United Kingdom have threatened to invoke a sanctions clause under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if there remains no progress on a new deal with Iran before the old one expires in October.Iran in turn has openly signaled that it is coordinating with China and Russia to withstand the growing Western pressure on its nuclear program, which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says poses a threat due to Tehran's enrichment levels.What To Know"We have had various joint meetings and designed a series of joint measures that we will implement if the snapback is activated," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said regarding coordination with allies Moscow and Beijing.The three capitals have been "working for years on a plan to counter the snapback," Iran's official news service IRNA quoted him as saying.The JCPOA capped Iran's uranium enrichment at 3.67 percent, enough for civilian energy uses but far below the threshold needed to create a bomb. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018, citing its ineffectiveness at curbing Tehran's nuclear program.The snapback mechanism in the existing deal now remains the only U.N.-backed mechanism to penalize Iran for serious non-compliance. The return of U.N. sanctions on Iran would include an arms embargo, missile and drone restrictions, bans on most nuclear activity, and travel, banking and asset freezes on designated Iranian entities and individuals.Araghchi, however, dismissed their effectiveness. "The economic sanctions of the Security Council are far more limited than the current unilateral U.S. sanctions.""Things will not become any worse than the current situation. Yes, from a psychological and political, and even strategic point of view, there are consequences, but not to the extent that it would bring diplomacy to a dead end or paralyze the country," he said.What People Are SayingAbbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, said in an interview on Wednesday: "They think the snapback is the only tool they have. Here we have clearly explained our position: first, you have basically no right to use it as you, too, have effectively withdrawn from the deal following the U.S. withdrawal, and with your recent positions, including the zero enrichment. So you're no longer a participant in the JCPOA, and the right to snapback belongs only to remaining members."Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organisations in Vienna, said on X on Wednesday: "The above-mentioned European states are themselves in violation of res.2231 and the #JCPOA. Therefore, legally speaking, they as violators don't have the right to launch SnapBack."Lin Jian, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said on Friday: "China stays committed to peacefully resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means, opposes invoking Security Council 'snapback' sanctions."What Happens NextWith the JCPOA's so-called "sunset clauses" set to expire in October, Tehran is hardening its position on nuclear enrichment by steering future IAEA cooperation under the authority of its Supreme National Security Council, the country's top national security body.