UNSC says ‘not in position’ to take more action to return all sanctions against Iran

Indonesia’s UN Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani, the Security Council’s president for August, was responding to a question from Russia and China on the issue during a meeting of the council on the Middle East.

The UNSC, he said, was “not in the position to take further action” on the new US push to trigger a “snapback” of all UN sanctions on Iran due to a lack of consensus among the member states to take such measures.

‘This means NO SNAPBACK’

Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia expressed hope that Washington would abandon the snapback bid, “which is not only illegal, but simply will not lead to achieving the result that was envisaged by the United States.”

Nebenzia’s deputy Dmitry Polyanskiy summed up Djani’s assessment in a tweet and said, “It means, there is NO SNAPBACK.”

The United States is trying to invoke the “snapback” mechanism in the multilateral nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), despite its withdrawal from the accord in May 2018 in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorses the deal.

The United States’ most prominent Western allies have refused to fall into step with the push, which follows Washington’s humiliating defeat in securing an extension of the UN arms embargo against Iran at the UNSC.

Only the Dominican Republic voted ‘yes’ to Washington’s resolution calling for the extension of the embargo beyond October 18.

The United Kingdom, France, and Germany, all signatories to the JCPOA, say the US does not have the legal right to trigger the “snapback” provision set out in the JCPOA because it pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.

A new report says 13 countries of the 15-member United Nations Security Council have expressed their opposition to the latest US push, leaving Washington once again isolated on the issue like never before.

Irked by Djani’s comments, US Ambassador Kelly Craft hit back and told the council, “Let me just make it really, really clear: the [US President Donald] Trump administration has no fear in standing in limited company on this matter.”

Zarif: US bid was refuted as null and void

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif highlighted the UNSC president’s comments in a tweet and wrote Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s “lawless bullying leaves US isolated again.”

Pompeo had on Thursday formally notified the United Nations of Washington’s demand for all UN sanctions on Iran to be restored, citing what he claimed to be Iranian violations of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Zarif added, “While US prevented a Sec. Council debate about its unlawful notification on Friday, members in today’s meeting on ME refuted U.S.’ attempt as null and void.”