The United Nations on Friday rejected a US resolution to extend an Iranian arms embargo.
On Friday, the United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly rejected a US resolution to extend an Iranian arms embargo, which had huge repercussions for the Iran nuclear deal.
Only two of the 15 council members voted in favor, underscoring the division between Washington and its European allies since President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal in May 2018.
The result increases the likelihood that the United States will attempt to unilaterally force a return to UN sanctions, which experts say threatens to plunge the Council into one of its worst diplomatic crises.
“The failure of the Security Council to act decisively to defend international peace and security is inexcusable,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
The conventional arms embargo is due to expire on October 18 under a resolution that blessed the Iran nuclear deal, signed in July 2015 and officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
As part of the deal, negotiated by then-US President Barack Obama, Iran pledged to reduce its nuclear activities in order to ease sanctions and other benefits.
Since Trump withdrew and slapped unilateral sanctions on Iran as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign, Tehran has since taken modest but increasing steps to move away from respecting the deal on nuclear by pushing for a reduction in sanctions.
European allies of the United States – which, along with Russia and China, signed the deal with Iran – have expressed support for extending the conventional arms embargo for 13 years, saying that a expiration threatened stability in the Middle East.
However, their priority is to preserve the JCPOA.
The US text, seen by AFP, effectively called for an indefinite extension of the embargo on Iran, which diplomats said would threaten the nuclear deal.
Iran says it has the right to defend itself and that maintaining the ban would mean the end of the nuclear deal.
Pompeo announced that members had not backed the proposal about 30 minutes before Indonesia, the current Security Council president, announced that the official results included two votes against and 11 abstentions.
Russia and China opposed the resolution.
“The result shows once again that unilateralism has no support and that intimidation will fail,” the Chinese UN mission tweeted.
– “Snapback” –
Ambassador Gunter Sautter of Germany, who abstained, said “more consultations are needed” to find a solution acceptable to all Council members.
In a call between Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, leaders “discussed the urgent need for UN action to extend the arms embargo to Iran.”
Earlier on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on China, France, Russia, Britain, the United States, Germany and Iran to convene an emergency video summit to prevent an escalation of tensions in the Gulf.
The United States has threatened to try to force the return of UN sanctions if they are not extended using a controversial technique called “snapback”.
Pompeo presented the contested argument that the United States remains a “participant” in the nuclear deal as it appeared in the 2015 resolution – and can therefore force a return to sanctions if it sees Iran as being in violation of its terms.
European allies have been skeptical about whether Washington can impose sanctions and warn that the attempt could delegitimize the Security Council.
Anne Gueguen, deputy permanent representative of France, said her country had abstained and urged efforts to find consensus.
“The period leading up to the expiration of the restrictions must be used to examine, in good faith, all diplomatic options,” she said.
Nevertheless, the United States is expected to deliver the reminder letter next week, AFP has understood.
Analysts suspect that Washington deliberately presented a sweeping plan it knew Council members would not be able to agree to.
“The point is, everyone at the UN thinks this (resolution) is just a prelude to an American effort to trigger the recovery and defeat the Iran nuclear deal,” Richard told AFP. Gowan, a UN expert at the International Crisis Group.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
