UN Snapback Sanctions On Iran Should Be On The Agenda As Zelensky Visits Washington

(New York, N.Y.) — As Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky prepares to visit Washington on Wednesday, the need to tackle the arms proliferation pipeline between Russia and Iran during his trip is vital. Earlier this month, the White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby revealed that Russia is offering an “unprecedented level” of military assistance to Iran, including helicopters, fighter jets, and other air defense systems. Iran is arming Russia with various weapons-capable and suicide drones – built in-part with commercially available components – for use against Ukrainian targets and civilians. The two nations are also reportedly exploring the viability of a joint drone production line.

The increased cooperation between Moscow and Tehran is made possible by the expiration of the international arms embargo against Iran prescribed by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Russia and China blocked U.S. efforts under the Trump Administration to extend the arms embargo beyond its arbitrary sunset date in October 2020, and in less than 10 ten months, additional sunset provisions will relieve Iran of restrictions on activities related to nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, including testing. The U.N. will no longer be obligated to approve Iran’s import and export of items that could contribute to the development of a nuclear weapon delivery system.  

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) repeatedly warned of the negative implications of allowing restrictions against Iran to sunset as prescribed by the JCPOA and has called on the U.S. and its European allies to work to reconstitute a complete international arms embargo against the Islamic Republic with performance-based criteria established for its expiration, and for the JCPOA’s snapback mechanism to be initiated. There is a rapidly shrinking international arms restrictions architecture on Iran, and the only way for U.N. restrictions to be reinstated is for U.S. allies in Europe to invoke the snapback sanctions provision of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231. President Zelensky should be pressing for snapback sanctions during his visit.  

To read UANI’s resource The Iran Nuclear Deal: What’s Wrong With It And What Can We Do Now?, please click here. 

To read UANI’s resource JCPOA Sunset Alert: Arms Embargo, please click here. 

To read UANI’s resource JCPOA Sunset Alert: Missile Restriction, please click here. 

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