President Trump announced on Wednesday that the US intends to impose ‘sanctions’ on ‘snapback’ on Iran, days after the UN Security Council failed to extend a comprehensive armed embargo on Iran.
“Today, I urge Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to report to the UN Security Council that the United States intends to restore almost all previously imposed United Nations sanctions on Iran,” the president told a news conference with reporters. “It’s a snapback.”
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The snapback mechanism was included as part of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal – known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) – and allows an individual participant in the deal to restore all UN sanctions on Tehran as it sees fit. as in violation of the deal.
The US left the Obama era deal in 2018, but claims to reserve rights as a participating member under Security Council Resolution 2231, which codified the deal.
It comes after the Council on Friday rejected a US resolution to extend a thirteen-year-old arms embargo on Iran that expired in October as part of the nuclear deal. The lifting of that embargo would allow Iran to buy fighter jets, attacking helicopters, tanks, submarines and missiles with a range of up to 300 km. The US has warned that it could result in Iran selling arms to countries such as Venezuela and Syria.
But while other countries, including allies such as the US, Germany and France, do not support Iran gaining access to weapons, there are fears among diplomats that a “snapback” could lead to Iran completely withdrawing from the deal.
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Calls for snapback will also spark a battle at the UN over whether the US can move forward with “snapback.” While Russia, China and other members of the JCPoA are working together to find ways to stop snapbacks, it looks like they are fighting a losing battle.
“After withdrawing from the JCPoA, the US is no longer a JCPoA participant and it is therefore inappropriate to ask the Security Council to call for a snapback,” Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun said in a statement. on Friday.
Pompeo is scheduled to visit the UN on Friday and meet with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The move to trigger snapback will surprise many Democrats, who saw it as a major diplomatic achievement by the Obama administration. But it will please a number of Iraqi hawks in the Republican Party, who have long sought to increase pressure on Tehran.
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in an op-ed earlier this week that it was time for the US to finally and irreversibly end what is left of the disastrous deal and the benefits Iran derives from calling for the snapback mechanism described in the United Nations resolution on the deal. “
This is a breaking news story, check back for further updates.
