U.S. sanctions against Iran draw criticism
WASHINGTON — Iran’s currency nosedived to an all-time low Sunday as the United States said it was ready to enforce all international sanctions against the country, while most of the world brushed off the U.S. move and acted as if nothing had changed.
The U.S. declaration that all sanctions against Iran are back in place as of Saturday night ushers in a new period of uncertainty and tension. The United States is almost alone in asserting that it has the authority to reimpose the multilateral sanctions, citing its participation in the 2015 nuclear agreement. Several countries agree.
It remains unclear how the administration will go about unilaterally enforcing the “snapback” of multilateral sanctions. Most countries say Washington stopped being a participant in the landmark deal with Iran when President Donald Trump withdrew from it two years ago and began reimposing U.S. sanctions.
Traditional U.S. allies in Europe have pledged to actively ignore what the United States is trying to do, fearing that the Trump administration is looking for a way to kill the agreement with Iran it has been railing against for years. That could prompt Iran to kick out the international experts who have been given access to monitor its nuclear facilities.
The foreign ministers of France, Britain and Germany, which helped negotiate the deal, underscored their rejection of the U.S. position in a joint statement Sunday, saying the United States gave up its right to have a say in U.N. sanctions. Josep Borrell, the foreign policy chief of the European Union, pleaded for the agreement to be preserved and urged all parties “to refrain from any action that could be perceived as an escalation in the current situation.”
Trump is expected to issue an executive order Monday specifying how Washington will enforce punishment for violators. The State and Treasury departments will spell out penalties for businesses and individuals.
No one disputes that Iran has been violating some of the rules it agreed to. It was fulfilling them until the United States began reimposing U.S. sanctions in 2018. In response, Iran has gradually exceeded limits for enriched uranium and heavy water.
Iran’s infractions were the justification used by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month when he notified the U.N. Security Council that the administration was triggering snapback sanctions under a clause in the agreement it is no longer a party to.
Pompeo, in a statement released Saturday as the sanctions were declared in effect, said he expects all countries in the U.N. to comply. He took a harsher tone Sunday, calling the agreement negotiated by the Obama administration “nuts, absolutely nuts” and accusing European countries of not having “lifted a finger” to stop an arms embargo against Iran from expiring. But he expressed hope that European allies would “get on board” by backing the U.S. stance on confronting Iran over nuclear enrichment and arms sales.
But Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, sounded defiant, saying snapback sanctions exist only in “the fantastical world” of the Trump administration.
The U.S. action is likely to cause some awkwardness at the U.N. General Assembly this week, commemorating its 75th anniversary. Most of it will be conducted virtually, with almost no world leaders attending because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Secretary General António Guterres said in a letter obtained by the Associated Press that he will not support the snapback sanctions unless they are approved by the Security Council, which refused to do so last month.