Russia Condemns European Countries' Attempt to Restore UN Sanctions Against Iran

Strategic Insights -

Russian Foreign Ministry officials strongly condemned an appeal by the British, German, and French foreign ministers to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council regarding Iran's alleged non-compliance with its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The appeal, submitted on August 28, is seen as a notification to launch a further chain of steps to restore previously cancelled UN sanctions against Iran.

Key Takeaways:

  • The European appeal is not a legitimate notification under paragraph 11 of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, as it bypasses the dispute resolution stage in the Joint Commission.
  • The European countries' claims of non-compliance by Iran are unfounded, as they have not provided any evidence to support their allegations.
  • The European countries' actions are an attempt to manipulate the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 by interpreting the "snapback" mechanism in a way that suits their interests.
  • The Russian side has distributed a detailed analysis to the UN explaining the untenable background and inconsistency of the European claims to the "snapback".
  • China has also presented a detailed argument on this matter, and the Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly provided explanations on the issue to the UN Security Council.
  • The JCPOA Joint Commission was not convened to consider the European claims of January 14, 2020, and the dispute resolution mechanism provided for in paragraph 36 of the JCPOA was not activated.
  • Iran closed all the issues that were raised against it when it concluded the JCPOA and faithfully implemented it for several years, including for a year after the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the "nuclear deal".
  • The problems in implementing the JCPOA were created not by Iran, but by Western countries, including Great Britain, Germany, and France, which did not allow the "nuclear deal" to be restored.
  • The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that the attempts of Great Britain, Germany, and France to use the "snapback" are a serious destabilizing factor, undermining the efforts undertaken at various levels to find negotiated solutions.

Statistics:

  • October 18, 2023: The "Transition Day" of the JCPOA, marking the beginning of the end of the deal due to the unilateral withdrawal of the United States.
  • January 14, 2020: The date of the European claims to the UN Security Council.
  • January 24, 2020: The date of the Russian Foreign Ministry's comments on the European claims.
  • December 2022: The month when the Iranian side was ready to restore the JCPOA, but the Western countries did not allow it.

Sources:

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (August 28)
  • Russian Foreign Ministry (January 14 and January 24, 2020)
  • IAEA (relevant reports and decisions)
  • UN Security Council Resolution 2231
  • JCPOA