Trump finds backing on N. Korea, not Iran
united NATIONS • Though famously skeptical of the united Nations, u.s. President donald Trump harnessed its collective power to impose crushing sanctions on North Korea in a bid to start talks with Pyongyang, but faces frustration over a similar push on Iran.
While the un Security Council was unified on North Korea, there is almost total opposition to the Trump administration’s assertion that it has triggered a return of all un sanctions on Iran, using a process agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran that Washington quit two years ago.
diplomats expect Iran to be a focus when Trump addresses the annual un meeting of world leaders on Tuesday from the White House just days after a deadline passes that Washington says requires all countries to extend an arms embargo and reimpose other sanctions on Tehran.
It will be the fourth un speech by Trump, who is seeking re-election on Nov. 3 and espouses an “America first” approach often at odds with the multilateralism that governs the world body. diplomats gasped during his debut when he threatened “fire and fury” on North Korea and laughed the second year when he boasted about his accomplishments. Last year, he denounced Iran’s “blood lust,” but said there was a path to peace.
After years of u.s. rhetoric on Iran at the un, Washington said it took action at the 15-member Security Council last month that it said would lead to a return of all un sanctions on Iran this weekend.
but 13 members, including America’s longtime allies, said the u.s. move has no legal effect and diplomats say few countries are likely to implement the measures, which were lifted under the deal between world powers and Iran that aimed to stop Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
“There should be joint leverage against Iran on the nuclear and other files,” said a senior european diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. “damage is done when that unity cracks and one country goes it alone and the leverage is reduced.”
u.s. Secretary of State mike Pompeo said on Wednesday the united States would do “all the things we need to do” to enforce the un sanctions.
Trump called the Iran nuclear agreement the “worst deal ever.”
Since withdrawing, the Trump administration has imposed unilateral sanctions under what it says is a “maximum pressure” campaign to force Iran to negotiate a new deal.
A senior Security Council diplomat, also speaking on condition of anonymity, argues the Iran nuclear deal had been working until Washington quit and “Iran is closer to the bomb right now than it was two years ago,” adding that the threat posed by North Korea “now is bigger than three years ago.”
despite his disregard for the un, Trump got off to a good start in his first year in office: the Security Council unanimously agreed to a u.s.-led push to bolster sanctions on North Korea three times after Pyongyang tested long-range ballistic missiles and carried out a nuclear test.
Trump has turned his back on decades of u.s. leadership at the un by pulling out of the un Human rights Council, the World Health Organization, the un cultural agency UNESCO, a global accord to tackle climate change and opposed a un migration pact. Washington cut funding for the un Population Fund and a un agency that helps Palestinian refugees.
Nevertheless, Trump has admitted he sees potential in the un and has used the u.s. position as the organization’s biggest funder to push Secretary-general Antonio Guterres to carry out reforms.