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reGermany, France and Britain openly oppose the US government’s attempts to reinstate sanctions against Iran. The dispute is sparked by divergent views on the status of the nuclear agreement (JCPOA) that the three European countries, as well as the United States, Russia and China concluded with Iran five years ago. The Donald Trump administration terminated its membership in the deal in May 2018.
Thomas gutschker
Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and Benelux countries based in Brussels.
A month ago he tried to get the agreement terminated at the United Nations Security Council because Iran was not adhering to major agreements. This “rollback” mechanism would automatically reinstate the UN sanctions against Iran that were suspended when the agreement entered into force.
The foreign ministers of the three European states said in a joint statement on Sunday that the United States no longer participates in the JCPOA since its withdrawal from the agreement in 2018. Therefore, its communication to trigger the “pushback” may “not have no legal effect “. It follows that “all the decisions and measures that would be taken on the basis of this procedure or its possible result cannot have any legal effect either.”
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In contrast, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would not hesitate to enforce sanctions against Iran. He also threatened on Saturday that the United States would expect all UN member states to fulfill their obligations under the revived sanctions. Washington also threatened states that did not act in turn facing sanctions.
The Security Council snubbed and divided
With its vision of the law, the United States has also snubbed and divided the UN Security Council. Thirteen of the fifteen members, including Germany, refused to follow the American argument. The three European foreign ministers declared that they were “more guided by the objective of safeguarding the authority and integrity of the UN Security Council.” They leave no doubt about their position: “they worked tirelessly” to preserve the nuclear deal with Iran, “and they will continue to do so.”
The EU foreign affairs representative, Josep Borrell, also announced that the United States had abandoned the nuclear deal and was therefore no longer a state party and could not initiate the process of reintroducing UN sanctions. “That is why the commitments to lift the sanctions of the nuclear agreement are maintained,” said Borrell. The Asturian expressed himself in his role as coordinator of the mixed commission, which oversees compliance with the agreement. He spoke not only on behalf of the European Contracting States, but also on behalf of Russia and China.
