A group of senior Iranian lawmakers has expressed support for boosting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear production, including the development of nuclear-powered submarine engines, as the United States successfully imposes international sanctions that effectively end a five-year agreement under world power would kill.
The Commission of the Islamic Consultative Association of National Security and Foreign Policy on Tuesday issued a seven-point statement, expressing confidence in Iran’s ability to win the diplomatic dispute over whether the US was entitled to the nuclear deal. 2015 to dismantle what it left in 2018. At the same time, the legislators introduced other measures to prepare for “the illegal activation of the trigger mechanism” which would re-introduce sanctions in advance.
The statement called on the Iran Atomic Energy Organization to “immediately return all nuclear activity” to levels reached before the agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. This included activating IR4, IR6, IR8 centrifuges to enrich uranium at 190,000 separate work units and “to accelerate the construction of nuclear power plants to power our country’s navy.”
Iranian naval leaders have long called for the development of nuclear-powered submarines to curb US military activity in the Persian Gulf, a flashpoint for tensions between Tehran and Washington. Unlike for urgent purposes, Iranian officials have long denied allegations by the US and collaborated with nationalities that Iran was trying to arm its nuclear program.
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Yet the country has amassed the largest and most advanced conventional missile arsenal in the Middle East and has focused primarily on building up its naval and anti-aircraft capabilities in the event of a conflict.
HOSSEIN ESMAILI / ARMED FORCES OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
The developments come on the heels of a resounding defeat Friday for the US at the UN Security Council, where only one other country – the Dominican Republic – supports a US motion to extend an Iranian arms embargo to expire in October as a result of the nuclear deal. Signatories China and Russia fought against the US proposal, while fellow JCPOA signatories recalled France, Germany, the United Kingdom and eight other nations.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo decided at the time what he called the 15-member “failure to act decisively in defense of international peace and security is unattainable.” He cited support from Israel and six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, although Qatar has since announced its opposition to the arms embargo.
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Iranian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi called the result evidence of ‘the isolation of the United States. He tweeted: “Message from the Council: ‘NO to UNILATERALISM.’ The US must learn from this debacle. Their attempt at ‘snapback’ sanctions is illegal, and was rejected by the international community, as was evident today. “
President Donald Trump said Saturday that U.S. officials “knew what the vote would be, but we will do a snapback.” In comments released the following day by German Deutsche Presse-Agentur, however, a European Union spokesman Josep Borrell claimed that Washington no longer had the right to take such actions since leaving the deal more than two years ago.
“Given that the FS unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and after no JCPOA structures or activities participated, the FS cannot be considered a JCPOA participant,” the spokesman said. “We therefore consider that the US is unable to use mechanisms reserved for JCPOA participants. [such as the so-called snapback]. “
In an interview with German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass on Tuesday, Pompeo “stressed the need for a uniform transatlantic response to hold Iran accountable and ensure that the Security Council fulfills its responsibility to maintain international peace and security,” according to a readout of the state department.
Moscow, which has been particularly critical of foreign policy movements in the Middle East, has proposed a multinational framework, known as the collective security concept for the Persian Gulf region, in hopes of straining US-Iran tensions . Just before the Security Council vote, Russian President Vladimir Putin invited JCPOA countries, including the US, to hold a virtual conference to find common ground on the issue.
China has welcomed the initiative. Both Beijing and Moscow have coordinated economic and security ties with Tehran as it seeks to resist unilateral Washington sanctions.
