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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani considered Sunday that the policy of “maximum pressure” adopted by the US administration against his country has become “the greatest isolation” for Washington, after the latter unilaterally announced the reimposition of sanctions from the UN to Tehran, in a move that was the target of widespread international criticism.
“We can say that the US policy of maximum pressure against Iran, in its political and legal form, has become a policy of maximum isolation for the United States,” Rouhani said, in a speech during a government meeting broadcast on television. .
He noted that Washington had received, in the last period, “3 consecutive defeats in the UN Security Council, that is, in the place that the Americans have always believed is their strong point.
“The United States is close to certain defeat in its movement to reimpose sanctions … The United States faced defeat and was met with a negative reaction from the international community and its traditional allies. The Iranian people will never yield to American pressure. “Rouhani added, adding that” Iran will respond overwhelmingly to American harassment. “
And the Secretary of State of the United States, Mike Pompeo, announced in the early hours of Sunday that the United Nations sanctions against Iran “came into force again”, warning of “consequences” if other countries did not implement these sanctions.
European rejection
The sanctions were lifted under the nuclear deal signed by international powers with Iran in 2015, but US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal last year and called for the reimposition of sanctions on Iran.
“If the member states of the United Nations fail to fulfill their duties in implementing these sanctions, the United States is prepared to use its internal powers to impose consequences for these failures,” Pompeo said.
He explained that the activation of the return to the original state clause reimposes almost all sanctions on Iran, including those previously canceled by the United Nations, including the arms embargo.
For its part, the European Troika reiterated its rejection of Washington’s decisions, considering them “without legal effect.”
In a joint statement by the Foreign Ministries of Germany, Great Britain and France, these countries warned that “The United States no longer participates in the comprehensive nuclear agreement after its withdrawal from it on May 8, 2018 and therefore , the decision (impose sanctions) cannot be implemented under article 11 of the agreement. ” They have no legal effect. “
The statement added that the three countries remain “committed to preserving the nuclear deal.”
Russia also condemned the US decision, as the Russian Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned the US unilateral statement, noting that the US statements lack legal basis.
“By their very nature, the illegal initiatives and actions of the United States cannot have international legal consequences for other countries,” the ministry said in a statement.
Gentle “doubt”
In the same context, the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, told the UN Security Council that he could not take any action regarding the announcement by the United States to re-impose all UN sanctions on Iran, given that there are “suspicions” in the matter.
“There seems to be a question whether the process has really started, and at the same time doubts whether the termination (of the sanctions) … is still in force,” Guterres said in a message to the council.
“The Secretary General cannot proceed as if such suspicion did not exist,” he added.
Typically, UN officials provide administrative and technical support to the Security Council to implement its sanctions, as the Secretary-General appoints independent experts to monitor implementation, but Guterres said he will not take any steps to provide this support until make the situation clear.
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