The Trump administration is getting ready to reimpose international sanctions against Iran by activating the snapback mechanism of the JCPOA.
So far efforts of the US administration have failed to make other states support the US unlawful request. Many countries and other parties to the JCPOA have ignored the US request in this regard.
After its first failure in UNSC now Trump administration has vowed to return all sanctions on Iran by reactivating the snapback mechanism on the 20th of September whether other countries like it or not. The international community once more id going to test the ability of the United States to impose its will on the rest of the world.
Now, only weeks away from the election, the Trump administration once again is making its boldest move against Iran by triggering the “snapback” of UN sanctions that were lifted as part of the deal, a legal interpretation shared by only a handful of US allies. Many countries and even the US European allies fear that Trump’s bold move can kill the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) with Iran and result in growing tensions in the region and increase instability.
Trump is expected to sharply criticize Iran and claim victory in beating back its more egregious behavior when he speaks to the United Nations General Assembly next week during his virtual speech to world leaders because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The United States claims that, as an original participant in the JCPOA, it has the legal right to force reimposed sanctions over the objections of the other countries that negotiated the agreement. The US case was rebuffed in a Security Council meeting last month, as every member except the Dominican Republic argued the United States gave up the authority to do so when it left the deal.
Even as US officials are making concrete plans to slap sanctions on countries and banks that facilitate trading with Iran when an arms embargo expires, most countries at the United Nations are treating it as a nonevent.
In a report, Reuters claimed that US President Donald Trump plans to issue an executive order allowing him to impose US sanctions on anyone who violates sanctions against Iran, while on Friday, the permanent representatives of the UK, Germany and France said in a joint letter to the 15-member UNSC that any decision or action taken to restore the UN sanctions “would be incapable of legal effect,”
Two days ago, President Hassan Rouhani congratulated the Iranian nation in advance on the country’s victory at the UN Security Council as the US’ push to trigger the snapback mechanism of the JCPOA for reinstating the sanctions on Iran is going to end in failure.
The US has been able to force other countries to follow its violations of the JCPOA not by legal means but by threat and intimidation
On the bullying and unilateral policy of the Trump administration, Nader Entessar, professor emeritus of political science from the University of South Alabama. told Mehr News agency, “The US has been able to force other countries to follow its violations of the JCPOA not by legal means but by threat and intimidation. This has worked so far, and I believe many countries will again succumb under pressure. Until and unless other countries in the world decide to stand up to Washington's bullying, Washington's outlaw behavior and disregard of international norms and institutions will continue.”
“No one’s recognizing it,” said a Western diplomat speaking on the condition of anonymity about the open defiance planned, according to Washington Post.
The US can take unilateral sanctions and say they’re part of snapback The diplomat added, “The US can take unilateral sanctions and say they’re part of snapback. But there’s not much more they can do. The council itself will actively ignore it. And hope elections go a certain way.”
Commenting on the US move to return sanctions on Iran while it has left the JCPOA two years ago and is not a member to the deal anymore, Russian Ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan called the US move illegal because they have left the deal two years ago and are not a participant or member to it anymore.
The US move is very funny like a woman claiming she is partly pregnant Levan Dzhagaryan compared the US officials claim with claims of a pregnant woman and added, “The US move is very funny like a woman claiming she is partly pregnant. They must make it clear whether they are party to the JCPOA or not.”
Anyway it should not be forgotten that many believe that US President focuses on Iran agenda in the UNSC despite knowing that his unlawful request will be ignored by the international community to advance his policy inside the country just weeks before the 2020 US Presidential election. To know more about this click here.