UNITED NATIONS, September 4. /TASS/. Russia hopes the United States’ withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal will be discussed at a United Nations Security Council’s high-level meeting on Iran, Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said on Tuesday, commenting on US President Donald Trump’s decision to chair the meeting.
"I would like to note that we are aware of the plans to organize a high-level meeting (on Iran - TASS) on September 26. We hope very much aspects linked with the United States’ withdrawal from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear program - TASS) will be tackled," he said, adding that Iran-related topics could be discussed only in the context of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 passed in support of the JCPOA.
Earlier, US Permanent Representative to the UN Nikki Haley said that President Trump planned to organize a meeting of heads of state and government on the global challenge and chair the a Security Council session on an important regional problem when he visited a high-level UN General Assembly session in late September. Following this statement, several sources told TASS that Iran would be in focus of the meeting.
Situation around JCPOA
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the deal on Iran’s nuclear program, was signed between Iran and six international mediators (the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, and France) on July 14, 2015. On January 16, 2016, the parties to the deal announced beginning of its implementation. Under the deal, Iran undertakes to curb its nuclear activities and place them under total control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in exchange of abandonment of the sanctions imposed previously by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the United States over its nuclear program.
In May 2018, US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s decision to withdraw from the deal, saying it leaves Iran a possibility to create a nuclear bomb bypassing all the restrictions. He warned the United States would reinstate its old anti-Iranian sanctions and would imposed new ones. The first round of sanctions covering Iran’s automotive sector and trade in gold and metals was re-imposed overnight to August 7. Further sanctions are to come into effect from November 5.
Meanwhile, other signatories to the deal - Russia, China, France, Germany and the United Kingdom - have condemned the United States’ move and reiterated their commitment to the JCPOA. The European Union has activated its Blocking Regulation to protect its companies from the effects of the US extra-territorial sanction against Iran.