AFP, Tehran

As United Nations sanctions returned in full force yesterday, Iranians felt the strain deepen, with prices soaring and the rial sinking to new lows.

For Helia, a 33-year-old graphic designer in Tehran, the impact was already visible: the price tag on the furniture for her new home jumped higher within three days.

“Even before the dollar went up, prices were rising. From meat to taxis, life is already harder,” she told AFP while working on an advertising project.

Iran’s government condemned as “unjustifiable” the reinstatement of the sanctions over its nuclear programme, following the collapse of diplomacy with Western powers.

The measures, which bar dealings linked to the Islamic republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities, took effect overnight after Britain, France and Germany triggered the so-called “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 nuclear accord.

Tehran’s foreign ministry urged other countries to refrain from enforcing the sanctions, vowing to “defend its national rights and interests”.

Across the capital, frustration and anxiety mixed as many wondered how much worse life could get.

“We’ll be ruined. Ordinary people really might not be able to live the way they do now,” said Nassim Company, a 56-year-old woman who works as a researcher in the city.

Mehrshad, a 19-year-old student, said Iran would “become economically and politically isolated” following the move.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States had offered only a brief reprieve in exchange for handing over its entire enriched uranium stockpile, a proposal he called “unacceptable”.