[[{"content_id":"5205","domain_id":"0","lang_id":"en","portal_id":"2","owner_id":"83","user_id":"7","view_accesslevel_id":"0","edit_accesslevel_id":"0","delete_accesslevel_id":"0","editor_id":"0","content_title":"\u2018Zero Chance\u2019 for US Resolution on Iran Arms Ban as UNSC Readies for Vote","content_number":"","content_date_event":"2020-08-11 15:11:24","content_summary":"As the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) prepares for a vote on a resolution proposed by the US to extend an arms ban on Iran, experts and diplomats at the UN say there is \u201czero chance\u201d for the draft to pass despite Washington\u2019s attempts to rally support for the push.","content_summary_fill":"1","content_body":"The embargo is slated to expire in October under a 2015 UNSC-endorsed nuclear deal between Iran and six world states — Russia, China, Germany, Britain, France and the US.\r\n\r\nWashington is, however, seeking to keep the arms ban in place through a UNSC resolution, threatening that it would use a provision in the agreement to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran if the UN body fails to extend the embargo. Ironically Washington abandoned the deal in 2018\r\n\r\nThe remaining signatories to the deal, even Washington’s own allies, have repeatedly reminded the US that it is no longer a party to the deal and thus cannot use the provision to bring about a renewal of anti-Iran bans.\r\n\r\nThey have also cautioned that a return of UN sanctions on Iran would likely kill the nuclear deal because Iran would lose yet another major interest under the deal.\r\n\r\nThe US has already reinstated its unilateral economic sanctions against Iran after leaving the deal in defiance of UNSC Resolution 2231, prompting Iran to suspend parts of its commitments to the JCPOA in response.\r\n\r\nAhead of the UNSC voting session, which is expected to be held later on Tuesday, diplomatic sources and political experts said the US resolution will fail to get the council’s approval.\r\n\r\nThe anti-Iran draft resolution needs at least nine votes in favor to force Russia and China to use their vetoes, but some question whether the US can even secure those nine votes.\r\n\r\nReuters cited diplomatic sources as saying Tuesday that a last-minute attempt by the European signatories to the JCPOA — Britain, France and Germany — to broker a compromise with Russia and China on the issue had so far proven unsuccessful.\r\n\r\nSpeaking on condition of anonymity, a Chinese diplomat at the UN, said that “extending the arms embargo on Iran in whatever form lacks legal basis and will undermine efforts to preserve” the nuclear deal, adding that there is “no chance” the text will be adopted.\r\n\r\nA European diplomat also said, “This US administration’s goal is to terminate the Iran nuclear deal.”\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, a senior UNSC diplomat pointed out that the remaining parties to the JCPOA are opposed to the so-called snapback of sanctions on Iran.\r\n\r\n“It’s highly likely … a number of countries will be saying they have no intention of implementing further sanctions, until the UN Security Council decides whether or not snapback has been carried out legally,” he said.\r\n\r\n“I don’t see how the council can decide that given the divisions that will be within it,” the diplomat said. “I don’t see any rush to re-establish sanctions regimes therefore around the world.”\r\n\r\nIn an interview with Fox News on Monday, US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft said, “We have no other choice than to renew the arms embargo,” claiming that Russia and China “are waiting to be able to sell arms to Iran.”\r\n\r\nAsked about the next US measure if its resolution failed, Craft said, “We have made it very clear that the US will use every tool in our tool box that the arms embargo is renewed.”\r\n\r\nWashington is expected to argue that it legally remains a “participant state” in the JCPOA only to trigger the so-called snapback of the UN sanctions, which had been in place against Iran prior to the nuclear accord’s inking.\r\n\r\nBut the gambit risks endangering the Iran deal and further alienating the US from its allies, which continue to support the JCPOA.\r\n\r\nUS resolution ‘curtain-raiser for bigger fight over JCPOA’\r\n\r\nIlan Goldenberg, senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security, stressed that Resolution 2231 is still a “key piece of the architecture that keeps what’s left of the JCPOA alive.”\r\n\r\n“If you break it, you might just collapse the entire deal. Nobody really knows what will happen,” he said. “The administration’s position is that lifting the arms embargo is absolutely unacceptable. But their real position is, we want to break the JCPOA, and we think we can use this to do it.”\r\n\r\n“The Trump administration knows that the arms embargo isn’t going to get renewed and, more than anything, this is a driver for them to try to invoke snapback and destroy what’s left of the JCPOA,” he added.\r\n\r\nRichard Gowan, UN director for conflict prevention advocacy body the International Crisis Group, said there was “zero chance” the US attempt to extend the arms ban would be adopted and that it was “a ploy to get to snapback.”\r\n\r\n“Everyone at the UN understands that this resolution is just the curtain-raiser for a much bigger fight over the Iranian nuclear deal,” Gowan noted.\r\n\r\nTrita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said, “Other JCPOA signatories do not necessarily like to see the arms embargo be lifted, but they view Trump’s actions as dishonest and aimed at simply killing the JCPOA.”\r\n\r\nLast week, Nayef F.M. Alhajraf, secretary-general of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), sent a letter to the UN Security Council in support of the US push to extend the arms embargo on Iran.\r\n\r\nRejoiced over the move, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was quick to tweet, “Arabs and Israelis are speaking with one voice, and the Security Council must listen.”\r\n\r\nSource: Iranian Agencies","content_html":"

The embargo is slated to expire in October under a 2015 UNSC-endorsed nuclear deal between Iran and six world states \u2014 Russia, China, Germany, Britain, France and the US.<\/p>\n\n

Washington is, however, seeking to keep the arms ban in place through a UNSC resolution, threatening that it would use a provision in the agreement to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran if the UN body fails to extend the embargo. Ironically Washington abandoned the deal in 2018<\/p>\n\n

The remaining signatories to the deal, even Washington\u2019s own allies, have repeatedly reminded the US that it is no longer a party to the deal and thus cannot use the provision to bring about a renewal of anti-Iran bans.<\/p>\n\n

They have also cautioned that a return of UN sanctions on Iran would likely kill the nuclear deal because Iran would lose yet another major interest under the deal.<\/p>\n\n

The US has already reinstated its unilateral economic sanctions against Iran after leaving the deal in defiance of UNSC Resolution 2231, prompting Iran to suspend parts of its commitments to the JCPOA in response.<\/p>\n\n

Ahead of the UNSC voting session, which is expected to be held later on Tuesday, diplomatic sources and political experts said the US resolution will fail to get the council\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n\n

The anti-Iran draft resolution needs at least nine votes in favor to force Russia and China to use their vetoes, but some question whether the US can even secure those nine votes.<\/p>\n\n

Reuters cited diplomatic sources as saying Tuesday that a last-minute attempt by the European signatories to the JCPOA \u2014 Britain, France and Germany \u2014 to broker a compromise with Russia and China on the issue had so far proven unsuccessful.<\/p>\n\n

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Chinese diplomat at the UN, said that \u201cextending the arms embargo on Iran in whatever form lacks legal basis and will undermine efforts to preserve\u201d the nuclear deal, adding that there is \u201cno chance\u201d the text will be adopted.<\/p>\n\n

A European diplomat also said, \u201cThis US administration\u2019s goal is to terminate the Iran nuclear deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Meanwhile, a senior UNSC diplomat pointed out that the remaining parties to the JCPOA are opposed to the so-called snapback of sanctions on Iran.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s highly likely \u2026 a number of countries will be saying they have no intention of implementing further sanctions, until the UN Security Council decides whether or not snapback has been carried out legally,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see how the council can decide that given the divisions that will be within it,\u201d the diplomat said. \u201cI don\u2019t see any rush to re-establish sanctions regimes therefore around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

In an interview with Fox News on Monday, US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft said, \u201cWe have no other choice than to renew the arms embargo,\u201d claiming that Russia and China \u201care waiting to be able to sell arms to Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Asked about the next US measure if its resolution failed, Craft said, \u201cWe have made it very clear that the US will use every tool in our tool box that the arms embargo is renewed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Washington is expected to argue that it legally remains a \u201cparticipant state\u201d in the JCPOA only to trigger the so-called snapback of the UN sanctions, which had been in place against Iran prior to the nuclear accord\u2019s inking.<\/p>\n\n

But the gambit risks endangering the Iran deal and further alienating the US from its allies, which continue to support the JCPOA.<\/p>\n\n

US resolution \u2018curtain-raiser for bigger fight over JCPOA\u2019<\/p>\n\n

Ilan Goldenberg, senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security, stressed that Resolution 2231 is still a \u201ckey piece of the architecture that keeps what\u2019s left of the JCPOA alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\u201cIf you break it, you might just collapse the entire deal. Nobody really knows what will happen,\u201d he said. \u201cThe administration\u2019s position is that lifting the arms embargo is absolutely unacceptable. But their real position is, we want to break the JCPOA, and we think we can use this to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe Trump administration knows that the arms embargo isn\u2019t going to get renewed and, more than anything, this is a driver for them to try to invoke snapback and destroy what\u2019s left of the JCPOA,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n

Richard Gowan, UN director for conflict prevention advocacy body the International Crisis Group, said there was \u201czero chance\u201d the US attempt to extend the arms ban would be adopted and that it was \u201ca ploy to get to snapback.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\u201cEveryone at the UN understands that this resolution is just the curtain-raiser for a much bigger fight over the Iranian nuclear deal,\u201d Gowan noted.<\/p>\n\n

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said, \u201cOther JCPOA signatories do not necessarily like to see the arms embargo be lifted, but they view Trump\u2019s actions as dishonest and aimed at simply killing the JCPOA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Last week, Nayef F.M. Alhajraf, secretary-general of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), sent a letter to the UN Security Council in support of the US push to extend the arms embargo on Iran.<\/p>\n\n

Rejoiced over the move, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was quick to tweet, \u201cArabs and Israelis are speaking with one voice, and the Security Council must listen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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