{"id":336264,"date":"2025-08-31T21:33:40","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T20:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=336264"},"modified":"2025-08-31T21:43:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T20:43:51","slug":"iran-clerics-downplay-snapback-sanctions-as-regime-grapples-with-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-clerics-downplay-snapback-sanctions-as-regime-grapples-with-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran Clerics Downplay Snapback Sanctions as Regime Grapples with Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ahmad
Ahmad Khatami delivers a fiery Friday prayer sermon in Tehran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As the snapback mechanism initiated by France, Germany, and the UK advances into critical stages, top clerics aligned with the regime\u2019s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei used this week\u2019s Friday prayers to downplay the severity of the sanctions and dismiss growing domestic fears. However, the regime\u2019s messaging campaign reveals deep internal anxiety, driven by fears of collapsing morale within its own ranks and a widening credibility gap with the public.<\/p>\n

Clerics Lead Campaign to Downplay the Threat<\/h2>\n

In Mashhad, Khamenei\u2019s appointee Ahmad Alamolhoda described the snapback sanctions as \u201cnothing new\u201d and labeled the entire process \u201cpsychological warfare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis so-called snapback mechanism adds nothing new to the sanctions we already face,\u201d Alamolhoda told his audience<\/a>. \u201cEurope and America want to create panic, weaken our economy, and sow distrust among the youth. We must not fall for their manipulation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alamolhoda accused internal critics and rival factions of \u201chelping the enemy\u201d by doubting Khamenei\u2019s leadership and spreading fear about the sanctions\u2019 impact.<\/p>\n

In Qom, Mohammad Hosseini-Bushehri, head of the Society of Seminary Teachers and a senior Friday prayer leader, echoed the dismissive tone but hinted at the regime\u2019s heightened state of alert: \u201cWe are in a wartime posture. I am not saying there is a war right now, but we are on full alert,\u201d Bushehri said<\/a>, insisting that Europe had \u201csided with the U.S.\u201d while suggesting that \u201cdiplomatic engagement\u201d might still neutralize the sanctions.<\/p>\n

Both clerics framed the snapback as an enemy-driven psychological operation designed to undermine trust in state institutions and weaken loyalty to Khamenei.<\/p>\n

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#Tehran<\/a> in Damage-Control Mode After Snapback Sanctions Triggered, Economic Fears Soarhttps:\/\/t.co\/tet1fJqorJ<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n