Russia's UNSC envoy declines US-sought Iran sanctions

Moscow, Oct 1, IRNA – Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said in his speech on the occasion of Russia's chairmanship in the United Nations Security Council that the UNSC sanctions that the United Stated is insisting on will not return. According to Russian media, Nebenzia said on Thursday that discussing the snapback invocation to restore sanctions on Iran will not happen. The UNSCR 2231 says that if any of the member-states have a protest about the other parties' commitments, first the issue will be discussed in the Joint Commission of the JCPOA, and if the issue is not solved, it can be sent to the UNSC. The US withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and violated the UNSC-endorsed deal. Last June, the White House announced that it would present a resolution to the UNSC to extend Iran’s arms embargo, which was roundly turned down on August 15. Only the US and Dominican Republic gave a yes to the draft resolution. The incident is considered a humiliating failure for US diplomacy system. Then on August 21, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a letter to the UN for snapback invocation against Iran in order to bring back in 30 days the sanctions lifted by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the UNSCR 2231, which was rejected by four permanent and nine non-permanent members of the Security Council in the first 24 hours after. They voiced that Washington’s demand has no legal basis.