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UN Security Council to take no action on US request to restore sanctions against Iran

Although no UN Security Council members besides the Dominican Republic openly supported the Washington’s move, the US Permanent Representative Kelly Craft responded with traditional criticism of Russia and China

UNITED NATIONS, August 25. /TASS/. The US request to restore sanctions against Iran cannot be satisfied, because the UN Security Council has not reached consensus on this issue, Triansyah Djani, Permanent Representative of Indonesia, who currently presides over the Security Council, announced Tuesday.

"Having consulted the members and received letters from many member countries it's clear for me that there is one member which has a particular position on the issue, but there is a significant number of members which have contesting feelings," he said. "In my view there is no consensus in the Council. Thus the president is not in a position to take further action."

"I think it is a prudent step that you are taking given the positions of the Member States of the Council on the matter that we raised," Russian Permanent Representative Vasiliy Nebenzya said in response.

"Almost all Council Members responded immediately by their letters to the President. As far as we can judge, in these letters an overwhelming majority of the Member States explicitly stated that the letter from the United States can’t be considered as a notification as per paragraph 11 of the UNSC resolution 2231, nor does it trigger the "snapback" procedure, since the US has ceased its participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA)," he noted.

Thirteen against

French Deputy Permanent Representative to UN Anna Gueguen pointed out that thirteen countries spoke against the US request.

"We took note of the converging views expressed clearly by 13 of the 15 members of the Security Council on that matter. As a consequence, we firmly believe that no further steps can take place within the Security Council," she said during the meeting.

A similar position was expressed by representatives of Belgium, Estonia, Germany and the UK.

"We do not support a move to snapback at this time, which would be incompatible with our current efforts to preserve the JCPoA," UK Deputy Permanent Representative James Roscoe said.

At the same time, he agreed with the US’s concern that Iran would be able to buy weapons after the weapons embargo expires in October this year.

China’s Permanent Representative Zhang Jun strongly condemned the US request, calling it illegal.

"China urges you not to take any action on the US demand," he said before Triansyah Djani announced his ruling.

In limited company

Although no UN Security Council members besides the Dominican Republic openly supported the Washington’s move, the US Permanent Representative Kelly Craft responded with traditional criticism of Russia and China.

"It is Russia and China that revel in this Council’s dysfunction and failure," she said. "The Trump Administration has no fear in standing in limited company on this matter. […] I only regret that other members of this Council have lost their way and now find themselves standing in the company of terrorists."

On August 20, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo handed over the Washington’s request to restore sanctions to the President of the UN Security Council.

According to the US, the sanctions may enter force again in 30 days. According to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, any signatory to the treaty can initiate the snapback procedure, should Iran violate the terms of the agreement. However, the US withdrew from the deal in 2018.