The Chinese mission to the United Nations in New York on Thursday said the United States "has no longer a right to extend an arms embargo on Iran, let alone to trigger snapback".
"U.S. failed to meet its obligations under Resolution 2231 by withdrawing from JCPOA. It has no right to extend an arms embargo on Iran, let alone to trigger snapback. Maintaining JCPOA is the only right way moving forward," a tweet posted by the Chinese Mission to the U.N. on Thursday maintained.
The nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was concluded in July 2015 and was blessed by the U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231. One of the provisions of the resolution was an arms embargo on Iran that will expire in October.
President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and called the agreement negotiated by the Obama administration “the worst deal ever.” However, the United States now says that it can trigger a return of not only the arms embargo but all U.N. sanctions as a participant in JCPOA.
The United States is ready to "snap back" sanctions and has drafted a Security Council resolution and “will press ahead with diplomacy and build support" to ensure that the arms embargo will remain, Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative on Iran wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
Iran is counting on the support of China and Russia to stifle U.S. efforts to prolong the arms embargo.
The re-imposition of the U.S. sanctions have cost a major blow to Iran's economy since 2018. Iran has responded to the reintroduction of the paralyzing sanctions by a series of countermeasures including halting the sales of excess enriched uranium and heavy water to other countries.
Russia appears to be supportive of Iran's claim that the United States is no longer a party to the JCPOA and not in a position to demand the continuation of the arms embargo that has been in place since 2007.
