Pompeo recently commented on UN Sanctions on Iran to have have been restored, including permanent extension of Arms Embargo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced back in late August that Washington had triggered the 30-day process to restore almost all UN sanctions on Tehran, due to Iran's failure to "uphold its mission" to maintain peace and security. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that the UN sanctions against Iran are coming into force and that the United States is ready to punish countries that are against these sanctions.
"In addition to the arms embargo, this includes restrictions such as the ban on Iran engaging in enrichment and reprocessing-related activities, the prohibition on ballistic missile testing and development by Iran, and sanctions on the transfer of nuclear- and missile-related technologies to Iran, among others", Pompeo said.
He added that the US "will not hesitate to enforce our sanctions, and [they] expect all Member States to fully comply with their obligations under these re-imposed restrictions".
Pompeo also said that the US will continue its "maximum pressure campaign" against Iran until a comprehensive agreement is reached.
"In the coming days, the United States will announce a range of additional measures to strengthen implementation of UN sanctions and hold violators accountable", the State Secretary said.
Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela Elliott Abrams reiterated these sentiments on Wednesday, telling reporters that Washington expects all the measures to be reimposed.
"As recalled in my statement of 20 August, as well as in the Chair's statement following the JCPOA Joint Commission on 1 September 2020, the US unilaterally ceased participation in the JCPOA by presidential Memorandum on 8 May 2018 and has subsequently not participated in any JCPOA-related activities. It cannot, therefore, be considered to be a JCPOA participant State and cannot initiate the process of reinstating UN sanctions under the UN Security Council resolution 2231. Consequently, sanctions lifting commitments under the JCPOA continue to apply," Borrell said in a statement.
The UK, France, and Germany have come out against the United States' deadline to reinstate the punitive measures. In a letter sent to the UN Security Council, the three European countries said that sanctions relief, which was agreed as part of a 2015 nuclear deal that limited Iran's nuclear capabilities, would remain in force beyond Sunday.
The United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal on 8 May 2018, reintroducing harsh economic restrictions against Tehran. A year later, Iran announced that it had started to suspend some of its obligations under the nuclear deal.
Iran says that the United States has been waging a targeted campaign against the nation, trying to intervene in its internal politics and isolate Iran in the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif also criticised the harsh sanctions the US has imposed on the country, saying that these policies affect both "friends and foes".
Iran's Foreign Ministry Urges US to 'Stop The Rebellion' Amid Sanctions Controversy
The Iranian Foreign Ministry called on the United States on Sunday to reconcile with the international community and get back to observing its legal commitments following the controversial statement on the restoration of UN sanctions on Tehran.
"Tehran's message to Washington is clear — return to the international community, act in accordance with your obligations and stop the rebellion. In this case, the international community will accept you [Washington]", Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a press statement, as quoted by Iran's ISNA news agency.
The Islamic Republic also stressed that the claims about the restoration of the sanctions are false as no such developments took place at the UN Security Council.
"The US' claim about the return of UN Security Council resolutions on Iran sanctions is false. The request of the US, which is not a JCPOA member, to launch the process of restoring the sanctions was resolutely rejected by the Security Council and never began", the statement read.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry further described Washington's actions as making the US appear as "the biggest threat to peace and international security."
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed "the return of virtually all previously terminated UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran" under the snapback mechanism of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. The mechanism envisions punitive measures in the case if Iran violates its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The JCPOA was signed in 2015 by Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, stipulating the removal of international sanctions from Tehran in exchange for it scaling down its nuclear programme. The deal was then enshrined in UNSC Resolution 2231.
The original deal turned short-lived as the US unilaterally withdrew in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran to which the latter responded by gradually abandoning its own commitments and completely withdrawing too a year later.
US Facing Defeat in Its Sanction Move Against Iran, President Rouhani Says
On Saturday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that all UN sanctions against Iran were "back in effect" under the “snapback” mechanism of UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech on Sunday that the US is facing defeat in its recent sanctions decision against the Islamic Republic.
“America is approaching a certain defeat in its sanctions move […]. It faced defeat and negative response from the international community. We will never yield to US pressure and Iran will give a crushing response to America's bullying”, Rouhani underscored.
Additionally, he signalled Iran’s readiness to fully adhere to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), if all other signatories do so.
The remarks came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that he cannot take any action on the US declaring the reinstatement of all UN sanctions against Iran due to what he described as uncertainty related to the issue.
“There would appear to be uncertainty whether or not the process […] was indeed initiated and concomitantly whether or not the [sanctions] terminations […] continue in effect. It is not for the Secretary-General to proceed as if no such uncertainty exists”, Guterres pointed out, according to his letter to the UN Security Council, seen by Reuters.
The statement followed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announcing that all the UN sanctions against Iran are coming into force and that Washington is ready to punish those UN Security Council members that are against the sanctions.
Pompeo welcomed "the return of virtually all previously terminated UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran" under the so-called snapback mechanism of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. The mechanism stipulates punitive measures if Iran violates its obligations under the JCPOA.
Commenting on the move, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell stressed that the US has no right to unilaterally restore international sanctions on Iran on the basis of an agreement it has withdrawn from.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh, for his part, called on the US “to return to the international community, act in accordance with your obligations and stop the rebellion” so that the international community can “accept” Washington.
The US re-imposed tough sanctions on Iran as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign of so-called maximum pressure on the Islamic Republic, which began after Washington unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 in a move that prodded Iran to start suspending its JCPOA obligations exactly a year later.