I assume you meant is already a pariah ...
Ignoring the fact that most of the world didn't care about Iran one way or the other.
Hope is the denial of reality
North Korea is indeed a good example. NK was party to the NPT and was threatened with sanctions when it threatened to withdraw from the NPT. When it finally did claim to have withdrawn from the NPT it was hit with severe sanctions..
India and Pakistan were both subject to sanctions by the US that were eventually waived but I don't recall them being subjected to UN sanctions at the time.
"One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."