US walks alone in Iran sanctions, EU goes other way

Tehran, August 29, IRNA - The European Union remains committed to implementing the Iran nuclear deal as a matter of respecting international agreements and of the bloc’s shared international security, EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Spokesperson Peter Stano said. “The Iran nuclear deal, which was unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council, is a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and contributes to the security of the region, for Europe and beyond,” Stano said. “The EU remains committed to implementing the JCPOA as a matter of respecting international agreements and of our shared international security,” he added. Stano told New Europe that a meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA will take place in Vienna on September 1. The Joint Commission will be chaired on behalf of Borrell by EEAS Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid and will be attended by representatives of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and Iran. An arms embargo imposed on Iran is expected to be lifted on October 18 under the terms of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – known as JCPOA – and UNSC Resolution 2231. This is while the United States has begun a campaign to extend the embargo. Washington firstly proposed a draft resolution to the UN Security Council which called for extension of Iran arms embargo. But on the voting day, except for the United States that had proposed the resolution, it was only Dominican Republican that voted for it. China and Russia voted against it and the rest 11 member states abstained. Following the unprecedented defeat, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo proposed another draft resolution to the UN Security Council which called for re-imposition of all the international sanctions on Tehran. But as the US unilaterally withdrew from Iran nuclear deal two years ago, the UNSC member states believe that the US is no longer a JCPOA participant and therefore cannot invoke the snapback. So, on the voting day, 13 UNSC member stats out of the total 15 members expressed their opposition to the US draft resolution.