U.S. Moves to Restore All U.N. Sanctions on Iran in Dispute Over Nuclear Deal

The United States moved to restore all U.N. sanctions on Iran on Thursday, arguing Tehran was in violation of a nuclear deal it struck with world powers in 2015 even though Washington itself abandoned that agreement two years ago.

The United States submitted a letter to the 15-member U.N. Security Council accusing Tehran of non-compliance, in theory starting a 30-day process that could lead to the “snapback” of U.N. sanctions even though major powers such as Russia reject the U.S. stance and say they will not restore the U.N. measures.

Iran itself rejected the U.S. move, taken in part because of the impending October expiration of a U.N. arms embargo on Tehran, arguing Washington had no right trigger the re-imposition and asking Security Council members to reject the U.S. action.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration abandoned the Iran nuclear deal, which was designed to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, arguing in part that its limitations on Iran’s atomic activities were inadequate.

In a letter to the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Secretary of State 👤Mike Pompeo said Iran had breached many of the deal’s central limits without acknowledging that most of the Iranian “non-performance” came only after Washington had pulled out.

“Iran’s non-performance is incontestable and a matter of public record,” said the letter, citing Iran’s enrichment of uranium above 3.67%, amassing of an enriched uranium stockpile beyond the agreement’s 300 kg ceiling, and other violations.

In a letter to the Security Council submitted before the United States action, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Washington had no right to trigger the “snapback” mechanism as it was no longer a party to the pact.

“The U.S. push to reimpose U.N. sanctions on Iran will have dangerous consequences,” Zarif’s letter said. “Now it is the international community’s turn to counter the unlawful push by the United States.”