Iran Urges US to Honor Commitments, Return to Int’l Community

“Tehran’s message for Washington is clear. Return to the international community, return to your commitments, and stop lawlessness, and the international community will accept you,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said at a weekly press conference on Sunday.

Highlighting the US government’s total isolation in its bid to trigger the snapback mechanism of the JCPOA, he said the US is facing “most bitter days and hours”.

The US isolation is a tell-tale sign that its power is flimsy, the spokesman added.

“The US is well aware how hollow, futile and ineffective its claim is,” Khatibi said, referring to Washington’s push to activate the so-called snapback mechanism of the JCPOA, from which it withdrew in 2018.

He also warned that any measure violating Iran’s interests and the international law would be responded seriously, advising the US to stop maritime and aerial banditry.

In remarks on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US government is going to suffer another defeat at the UNSC after its recent failure to extend a UN arms embargo on Iran.

He said Washington’s upcoming failure to activate the snapback mechanism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action would mark another major and historic victory for the Iranian nation.

Last month, 13 countries of the 15-member council rejected the US push to trigger the so-called snapback provision in the 2015 nuclear deal, leaving Washington isolated on the issue.

UNSC Resolution 2231, which enshrined the JCPOA, states that if no council member has put forward a draft resolution to extend sanctions relief on Iran within 10 days of a non-compliance complaint, then the body’s president shall do so within the remaining 20 days.

The document, however, says the Security Council would “take into account the views of the states involved.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed that all UN sanctions against Iran will be reinstated on September 20 after the US “activated the snapback mechanism.”

However, the claim was strongly condemned by other signatories of the nuclear deal including the EU, Russia and China.