Tensions have escalated between Moscow and Tehran after Russia’s Sergey Lavrov and former Iranian diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif traded accusations over the snapback mechanism, described as the “legal trap” in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

With the UN Security Council’s approval on September 19, 2025, to reimpose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, urgent questions have arisen about why Tehran has been unable to reach agreements that would prevent the return of these measures.

The U.S. and major European countries have set the end of August as the deadline for reaching a new nuclear deal with Iran, otherwise sanctions lifted under the 2015 deal will be reimposed.

After 2 rounds of indirect talks in Oman and Italy, Iran’s tone toward the U.S. has clearly shifted; what was once described as “dishonorable” negotiations is now being replaced with praise for Trump, who is currently being referred to as a “man of peace.”

As Trump’s May 2025 visit to Saudi Arabia nears, and with normalization stalled by the Israeli war on Gaza, Washington is offering “rewards” in return for the kingdom’s expected trillion-dollar deal.