U.S. demands sanctions restored on Iran
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has instructed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to demand the restoration of sanctions on Iran that were suspended as part of the nuclear deal struck with Tehran during the Obama administration.
Trump pulled the United States out of that deal early in his administration and has instead embarked on a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, arguing that it is the only way to contain the country’s nuclear ambitions.
“Today, I am directing SecreBoth tary of State Mike Pompeo to notify the U.N. Security Council that the United States intends to restore virtually all of the previously suspended United Nations sanctions on Iran,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “It’s a snapback. Not uncommon.”
The United States argues that even though it has left the nuclear deal, it retains the right as an original “JCPOA participant” to trigger the “snapback” of sanctions over any issue that violates the agreement.
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
Russia and China have dismissed the U.S. position, saying that since it left the agreement, it has no right to keep the arms embargo in place.
Dropping out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the deal’s official name, has isolated the United States on the issue, even among allies that share its concerns over Iran and its imminent resumption of buying and selling weapons. Most members of the council want to preserve the nuclear agreement, and Iran could have bailed out of it if the embargo had been extended and resume its nuclear program full tilt.
Pompeo and Trump have made no secret of their intention to invoke the rare and controversial diplomatic move in the wake of its defeat at the United Nations last week on extending the arms embargo. The U.S. won just one other “yes” vote, with China and Russia opposed and the 11 other members abstaining.
“This will be a fully valid enforceable Security Council resolution and we have every expectation that it will be enforced just like every other Security Council resolution that is in place,” said Pompeo, who is to meet today with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at his residence.
Some observers fear that the U.S. pursuit of a sanctions snapback could cause an existential crisis in the Security Council itself.
“The question is, does the rest of the Security Council believe the snapback is legitimate?” said Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. “It’s possible they’ll ignore it. And what’s the value of the Security Council if they can’t agree on what authority they have?”
Some U.N. experts believe the others will just ignore the Americans, leaving the Trump administration in the possible position of having to introduce its own resolution to extend sanctions relief for the sole purpose of vetoing it.