© Israel National NewsUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Sanctions on Iran will snap back at midnight GMT on Sep. 20, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday.
"The US triggered the 30-day process to restore virtually all UN sanctions on Iran after the Security Council failed to uphold its mission to maintain international peace and security. These sanctions will snap back at midnight GMT on September 20."
His tweet comes after 13 council members expressed their opposition to the US bid to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran on Friday.
They argued that Washington's move is void given it is using a process agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that it quit two years ago.
However, the US argues that it can trigger the process — known as snapback —
because a 2015 Security Council resolution that sets out the nuclear deal still names it as a participant.
The process to restore sanctions is a reaction to the Security Council rejecting the US's Aug. 14 bid to extend an arms embargo on Iran beyond its expiration in October.Pompeo on Thursday completed a trip of the Middle East that sought to build on an American-brokered deal to have Israel and the United Arab Emirates normalize relations. The US Secretary of State discussed countering Iranian regional influence with his Emirati counterpart during a brief visit to the UAE as part of his tour.
Comment: Does
Washington have 'veto' leverage to trigger reinstatement of sanctions?
Pompeo cited the process for sanctions re-imposition outlined in council resolution that enshrined the nuclear deal. Under the terms of that resolution, if a participant in the deal accuses Iran of "significant non-performance," the council must vote affirmatively to continue sanctions relief. The U.S. would veto any such resolution.
"If any member of the UN Security Council introduces a resolution to continue sanctions relief, the U.S. will oppose it. If no resolution is introduced, the sanctions on Iran will still return on September 20. That's how UNSCR 2231 works."
The EU announced last Friday that the six remaining parties to the JCPOA will meet in Vienna on Sept. 1.
Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky tweeted Thursday:
"Under international law you can't withdraw from an agreement and then claim you can still benefit from its provisions. Under 'rules-based international order' where the rules are defined by the US this seems to be OK provided it serves US interests."
See also:
Comment: Does Washington have 'veto' leverage to trigger reinstatement of sanctions? See also: