US Attempts to Perpetuate Curbs on Iran’s Arms Trade Violate Int’l Law

The United States’ efforts to extend the United Nations arms embargo on Tehran are against the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran’s permanent representative to the UN said on Wednesday. 
“Members of the security council need to take note that any measure to prevent the lifting of Iran’s arms embargo would be against UNSC Resolution 2231,” Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in an interview with IRNA. 
The US has circulated a draft UN resolution that would indefinitely extend the UN arms embargo on Iran that is to expire in October, according to US officials and UN diplomats who spoke to AP on Tuesday on condition of anonymity.  
The draft document would strike the expiration of the arms embargo from Resolution 2231 that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between six major powers and Iran, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 
Takht-Ravanchi said the US, in an unprecedented move, has already violated a UN resolution that it had itself passed as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
He was referring to the US unilateral withdrawal from JCPOA in 2018 and its reimposition of tough sanctions on Tehran, the party that had fully met its obligations.    
A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France to be adopted.
If the council does not extend the arms embargo, the next step in the US plan would be to try and trigger a so-called snapback of all UN sanctions on Iran, including the arms embargo, using a process outlined in JCPOA.
That position rests on a legal argument that asserts that although the US is no longer part of the nuclear deal, it remains an original “participant” under the terms of the UN Security Council resolution that enshrined it.

‘Historical Joke’ 

Takht-Ravanchi referred to the plan as a “historical joke” rejected by the international community.  
“In the White House statement on [May 7, 2018], it is clearly stated that the US decided to end its participation in JCPOA,” he saidd. 
This is completely against international law and is not politically accepted by the global community, according to the UN diplomat.
“Based on the contents of JCPOA, … they are not entitled to … revive the sanctions of past resolutions,” he said, describing it as a futile attempt by the US administration. 
Spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament also stressed that only parties to JCPOA can invoke the terms of the deal with regard to Iran’s activities. 
“Americans have not only exited the deal, but have also expressed their opposition to it,” Hossein Naqavi said.  
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad said Washington’s wish to be a JCPOA participant shows its maximum pressure policy has failed to force Iran to yield to their demands.  
“2 yrs ago, @SecPompeo and his boss declared ‘CEASING US participation’ in JCPOA, dreaming that their ‘max pressure’ would bring Iran to its knees. Given that policy’s abject failure, he now wants to be JCPOA participant,” he tweeted. “Stop dreaming: Iranian Nation always decides its destiny.”
The plan by US President Donald Trump will likely face stiff opposition from Russia and China, two veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council, who have argued in favor of its removal. 
Russia has been more outspoken on the issue and has derided US attempts to bring the matter up for discussion. 
In a phone conversation with Zarif on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the plan as “rejected and non-practical”. 
The initiative has also faced objection inside the US by senators and other politicians who have described it as “hypocritical” and “making no sense”.