As nine member nations vote against lifting nuclear restrictions, Iran declares the UN Security Council‘s move “illegal.”
UNSC Blocks Iran Sanctions
Iran has suffered a significant economic setback that Tehran says is “politically biased” after the UN Security Council decided not to permanently relax economic sanctions on the country due to its nuclear program.
By a vote of four to nine, the Security Council blocked the measures on Friday. If no major agreement is made before then, European sanctions would resume on September 28.
Nine nations of the UNSC voted against the lifting of the sanctions, while Russia, China, Pakistan, and Algeria voted to prevent their reintroduction. Two nations did not participate.
The decision comes after the E3—Britain, France, and Germany—started a 30-day procedure in late August to reimpose sanctions unless Tehran complied with their requests.
Iran Slams UNSC Decision
“Today’s conduct is illegal, needless, and hurried. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran‘s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, said at the meeting on Friday that Iran acknowledges no duty to put it into effect.
“Any effort by the E3 to reinstate sanctions that have already been lifted is not only unfounded, but it also directly violates international law and the Security Council‘s legitimacy,” he said.
He went on to say, “This farce unfolds against the background of flagrant aggression,” alluding to the strikes on his nation’s nuclear facilities by Israel and the US during the 12-day war in June.
Iravani went on to say the council had “squandered a chance for debate and compromise.”
Iran Accuses Europe Misuse
According to Iran, Europeans are “misusing the JCPOA system.”
The 2015 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has a dispute process that permits the imposition of penalties via a “snapback mechanism,” which Iranian officials have accused the European partners of exploiting.
The actions of Europeans are politically driven and prejudiced. “They are incorrect on many levels by attempting to abuse the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) process,” Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said before to the vote.
If Iran allowed UN nuclear inspectors to reenter the country and held discussions with the United States, Europeans pledged to postpone the snapback for a maximum of six months.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran‘s foreign minister, said that Tehran had put out a “reasonable and concrete plan” and reaffirmed Iran‘s commitment to the NPT.
E3 Accuses Iran Violations
However, the E3 charges Tehran of violating its nuclear pledges, including the development of a uranium stockpile that exceeds 40 times the amount allowed by the JCPOA. In June, the United Nations‘ nuclear monitoring board also declared that Iran was not adhering to international nuclear safeguards.
Tohid Asadi of Al Jazeera, reporting from Tehran, said that “diplomatic engagement is still an option to address this already convoluted situation, albeit limited.”
However, he warned, the decision today adds another “layer of difficulty” and puts Iran “on the very verge” of more severe sanctions that will increase the strain on its economy.
“The time for high-level diplomacy is running out.”
James Bays, the diplomatic editor for Al Jazeera, said from the UN that the UNSC resolution for sanctions to be reinstated does not mark the “end of discussions” since the parties still have a little more than a week to reach a final agreement.
“It sets the setting for high-level diplomacy between Iran and notably the three European nations, since global leaders are all in New York for the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly,” Bays added. However, “this high-stakes diplomacy is coming to a conclusion, and the clock is really ticking.”
Iran has asserted its right to peacefully explore nuclear energy while consistently denying that it is developing nuclear weapons.
Iran, the US, China, Russia, and the EU signed the JCPOA, wherein Tehran committed to reduce its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. However, when US President Donald Trump withdrew and reinstated unilateral sanctions in 2018, the accord fell apart.
When Israel began a 12-day war on Iran earlier this summer and US and Israeli troops hit many nuclear sites, tensions increased even further.
In 2018, the United States unilaterally broke the agreement and reinstated sanctions on this Council. The E3 was the one that fell short of their responsibilities, covertly carrying out Washington‘s directives and leading with hollow promises,” Iravani stated.
This discrepancy between their words and deeds demonstrates once again that their true goal is escalation rather than diplomacy,” he said.