Iran calls US attempt to ‘snapback’ sanctions ‘null and void’, urges UN to block it

Iran says the US’ claim about the return of the UN Security Council’s sanctions against Tehran as per the so-called “snapback” mechanism is “null and void”, calling on the UN and its Security Council to block any attempt to reinstate the bans.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, the permanent ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, made the remarks in a letter to the UN Security Council and to the UN Secretary-General early Sunday.

"Given that the stated objective of the United States is to completely ruin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and to that end, its strategy is to create legal complication through presenting unilateral arbitrary interpretations and pseudo-legal arguments, the Islamic Republic of Iran trusts that the members of the Security Council will, once again, reject the United States' continued attempt to abuse the Security Council's process, thus undermining the authority and credibility of the Council and the United Nations," Takht-Ravanchi said in the letter.

The Iranian envoy also responded to the news on Twitter, saying that "UNSC member states continue to maintain US is NOT a JCPOA participant, so its claim of "snapback" is null & void."

"US is STILL in violation of JCPOA and Res 2231—swimming against int'l currents will only bring it more isolation," he tweeted.

US' illegal & false “deadline" has come and gone.

UNSC member states continue to maintain US is NOT a JCPOA participant, so its claim of “snapback" is null & void.

US is STILL in violation of JCPOA and Res 2231—swimming against int'l currents will only bring it more isolation.

— Majid Takht Ravanchi (@TakhtRavanchi) September 20, 2020

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday night that the US has reimposed UN sanctions against Iran based on the snapback mechanism despite global rejection, even by its own allies.

Other countries have rejected the US' argument that it could reimpose the UN sanctions that had been lifted under the Iran nuclear deal as the Trump administration withdrew from the deal in 2018 and was not a party to the deal anymore. Therefore, they are not expected to recognize the snapback sanctions.

In outright rejection of US unilateralism, E3 tells UNSC Iran sanctions relief to continue beyond Sep. 20

Britain, France and Germany have told the UNSC that Iran’s sanctions relief - agreed under the JCPOA - will continue beyond September 20.

In a televised interview a few hours before Pompeo’s announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said there was no mechanism for the US to enforce its controversial “snapback”, and warned that other countries would be subjected to the same treatment if they did not resist America’s move.

“The Americans claim that ... within a few hours, the resolutions [sanctions] will return. But they themselves realize that this is a false claim,” the Iranian top diplomat said.

“The Americans as a rule act as a bully and impose sanction ... The world community should decide how to act towards bullying,” he added.

“As they (other countries) will face the same thing tomorrow when America takes the same action towards the Nord Stream project, as well as other projects because a bully will continue to act as a bully if he is allowed to do it once,” Zarif said.

He noted that the US knows UN sanctions will not return “so they have resorted to bullying, and said they will sanction anyone who sells weapons to Iran”.

Zarif stressed that “there is no thing called ‘snapback’. There is no automatic mode. It’s not like anyone who’s had a fight with their mother can up and create a ‘snapback’ mechanism.”

“Pompeo believes this is a simple mechanism ... it is not,” Zarif said, accusing him of not having read the UN security council resolutions or the agreement’s text.

“He’s now probably waiting for JCPOA’s movie to come out so he would know what it is,” he added, referring to the deal’s official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

US humiliates itself: Russia

In reaction to Pompeo’s announcement, Russia’s ambassador to the UN expressed regret that the US is isolating itself by making such humiliating moves.

“It’s very painful to see how a great country humiliates itself like this, opposes in its obstinate delirium other members of UN Security Council. We all clearly said in August that US claims to trigger snapback are illegitimate. Is Washington deaf?” Dmitry Polyanskiy tweeted early Sunday.

“The US seems to be persistent in undermining international law by imposing its selfish will on the others. Is it the “rules based int’l order” where rules are set by limited club of nations that our American colleagues have been ardently defending recently?”

US seems to be persistent in undermining intl law by imposing its selfish will on the others. Is it the “rules based intl order” where rules are set by limited club of nations that our American colleagues have been ardently defending recently? #snapback #Iran

— Dmitry Polyanskiy (@Dpol_un) September 20, 2020

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