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The administration of US President Donald Trump has said that all UN sanctions against Iran have gone into effect and that the conventional arms embargo imposed on Iran will not expire in mid-October.
But 13 countries of the 15-member UN Security Council, including longtime allies of the United States, said Washington’s move was invalid.
Diplomats say only a few countries are likely to reimpose the measures that were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with world powers with the aim of preventing it from developing nuclear weapons.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement: “The return of sanctions today is a step toward international peace and security. In the coming days, the United States will announce a set of additional measures to strengthen the applying UN sanctions and holding violators accountable. “
Here’s a look at the events that led up to this confrontation and what could happen next.
Why will the arms embargo on Iran end?
- The UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Iran in 2007, and this ban will expire on October 18, under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran, Russia, China, Germany, Britain, France and the United States.
- The agreement prevents Tehran from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief, and the agreement was included in a Security Council resolution in 2015.
- In 2018, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, withdrew from the nuclear agreement concluded by the administration of his predecessor, Barack Obama, describing it as “the worst agreement in history.”
- Last month, the United States did not attempt to extend the embargo on Iran in the Security Council.
What does this mean for the 2015 nuclear deal?
- The parties that remained involved in the nuclear deal said they were committed to preserving it, and Iran said the deal would remain in force despite the United States’ decision at the United Nations.
- Britain, France and Germany told the UN Security Council on Friday that Iran’s exemption from UN sanctions would continue after September 20.
- Envoys from the three European parties wrote in a letter to the council: “We work tirelessly to preserve the nuclear deal and we remain committed to that.”
What sanctions will return?
- The return of the UN sanctions would force Iran to suspend all activities related to enrichment and reprocessing, including research and development, and would prohibit the importation of anything that could contribute to those activities or the development of delivery systems of nuclear weapons.
- It will also include reimposing an arms embargo on Iran, preventing it from developing ballistic missiles capable of launching nuclear weapons, and resuming targeted sanctions against dozens of people and entities.
- Countries will be urged to verify shipments to and from Iran, and allow them to seize any prohibited shipments.
What led to that result?
- The United States filed a complaint with the UN Security Council about Iran’s violation of the nuclear deal last month.
- Since the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal, Washington has imposed heavy unilateral sanctions in an effort to force Iran to return to negotiate a new deal.
- In response, Iran violated basic restrictions imposed by the agreement, including its reserve of enriched uranium.
- The United States says that, under a 2015 UN Security Council resolution that includes the nuclear deal in its system, it has activated a 30-day process to re-impose all UN sanctions on Iran.
- Washington believes that despite its withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the resolution still considers it a participating country.
- The Security Council had to vote within 30 days on a resolution to continue to reduce the sanctions imposed on Iran and, unless such a resolution is adopted before the deadline, all UN sanctions that were in effect before the deadline. The 2015 nuclear deal will be automatically reimposed, and no such resolution has been submitted. This decision to vote.
- Last month, Indonesia, which chaired the UN Security Council for the month of August, said it was “not in a position to take further action” regarding the US attempt to trigger the return of all sanctions on organizations. internationals against Iran. Because the matter does not get unanimity in the Council.
- 13 of the 15 countries on the Security Council say they oppose Washington’s measures; It considers it invalid, since it uses a process within the nuclear agreement to which it is no longer a party.
- Pompeo warned Saturday: “If the member states of the United Nations do not comply with their obligations to impose these sanctions, the United States is prepared to use its internal powers to impose consequences for these failures.”
What will the United States do now?
- The President of the United States intends to issue an executive order allowing him to impose sanctions on anyone who violates the United Nations’ conventional arms embargo on Iran; In an attempt to strengthen the United States’ insistence that the measure has been extended indefinitely beyond October 18.
- The executive order is expected to be issued in the coming days and will allow the president to punish foreign offenders, as US entities are already barred from carrying out arms-related deals with Iran and denying them access to the US market.
How will an administration led by Democrat Joe Biden deal with Iran?
- Three prominent Iranian officials said their country’s leaders are determined to remain committed to the nuclear deal, in the hope that Trump’s Democratic rival Joe Biden will win the US presidential election on November 3, which could save the deal.
- Biden, who was Obama’s deputy at the time of negotiating the nuclear deal, said he would return his country as part of it if Iran returned first to comply with all its provisions.
- “If Iran strictly adheres to the nuclear deal again, the United States will come back to unite and build on the deal, and will work with its allies to counter the destabilizing actions of Iran,” said Biden’s campaign spokesman Andrew Bates.
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