UNSC Opposition to US Push Once Again Showed Its Global Isolation, Iran Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York said a recent move by the overwhelming majority of the Security Council members to reject Washington’s bid to reimpose international sanctions against Tehran one more time showed the US global isolation.
“Today’s deliberations in the Security Council showed once more the US isolation on the JCPOA and Resolution 2231. Given that the stated objective of the US is to destroy Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, Iran trusts that the Council members will continue preventing that country from undermining the UN, including the Security Council,” the mission said in a statement on Tuesday.
On Friday, the US was further isolated over its bid to reimpose international sanctions on Iran with 13 countries on the 15-member UN Security Council opposing it, arguing that Washington’s move is void given it is using a process agreed under a nuclear deal it quit two years ago.
In the 24 hours since US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he triggered a 30-day countdown to a return of UN sanctions on Iran, including an arms embargo, Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium as well as China, Russia, Vietnam, Niger, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines, South Africa, Indonesia, Estonia and Tunisia have already written letters in opposition.
Diplomats said Russia, China, and many other countries are unlikely to reimpose the sanctions on Iran. Pompeo again warned Russia and China against that on Friday, threatening US action if they refuse to reimpose the UN measures on Iran.
The full text of the statement is as follows:
Today, the overwhelming majority of the Security Council members rejected once again the admissibility of the recent letter by the United States to purportedly initiate a process to re-impose Security Council sanctions on Iran.
Through individual or joint letters addressed to the Council’s President, 13 out of 15 members of the Security Council -- including remaining participant States of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- as well as Iran have already strongly refuted the legal merit of the US letter.
The Council members have made it clear that, the US, following its withdrawal from the JCPOA, is not a “JCPOA participant” anymore and as such has no right to initiate a process to re-impose Security Council sanctions on Iran as this right has been reserved only for “the JCPOA participant States”.
They believe that the US has forfeited its right to initiate a process to re-impose Security Council sanctions on Iran, and accordingly, its letter cannot be considered as the qualified notification for the purpose of Resolution 2231, thus is void of any legal effect now and in future.
Iran’s position regarding the US attempt is also quite clear. That letter, including all references therein, are null and void, have no legal standing and effect and are thus completely inadmissible.
Our relevant solid legal arguments and detailed supporting references are contained in the letter of Iran Foreign Minister addressed to the Council’s President and issued as a Security Council document.
Today’s deliberations in the Security Council showed once more the US isolation on the JCPOA and Resolution 2231. Given that the stated objective of the US is to destroy Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, Iran trusts that the Council members will continue preventing that country from undermining the UN, including the Security Council.
Regarding unfounded accusations against Iran raised in the Council meeting by the US, it must be stressed that almost all problems in the Middle East stem from the continued occupation of Palestine by the Israeli regime and its expansionist policies supported by the US, as well as the meddling, destabilizing policies and destructive practices of the United States, which cannot be covered up by no amount of smear campaign.
