Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the reimposition of global sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme is “not like the sky is falling” as he headed home on Saturday from New York where he failed to convince Western powers to delay the move.

Iran’s immediate reaction to the resumption of United Nations sanctions came with the announcement earlier on Saturday it was recalling its ambassadors to Britain, France and Germany for consultations, but it has warned a harsher response awaits.

“It is not like the sky is falling. If we are weak they will crush us. But if we are united, there is no fear from this crisis,” Pezeshkian told Iranian state television before leaving New York, where he was attending the United Nations General Assembly.

All UN sanctions on Iran are due to be restored overnight, after the three European powers, known as the E3, triggered a 30-day process accusing Tehran of violating a 2015 deal meant to prevent it from building a nuclear bomb.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

It has warned Western countries they will face “serious consequences” for restoring the sanctions, but Pezeshkian has also said Iran has no intention of quitting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Russia and China mounted a last-ditch effort at the UN Security Council on Friday to delay the sanctions snap back, warning it could prompt escalation in the Middle East, but only four of the 15 council members supported their draft resolution.

Meanwhile, Iran’s rial currency continued to decline over fears of new sanctions. The rial fell to 1,123,000 per US dollar, a new record low, on Saturday, from about 1,085,000 on Friday, according to foreign exchange websites, including Bon-bast.com.