US Threat to Return UN Sanctions Dismissed

The Iranian top diplomat dismissed as “very foolish” the United States’ claim of having authority to trigger the 2015 nuclear deal’s snapback mechanism that would restore the United Nations’ sanctions if the UN arms embargo against Tehran is not extended. 
"Very foolish claims by US officials is nothing new," ISNA quoted Mohammad Javad Zarif as telling reporters on Thursday. 
The US officially exited the multinational deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in 2018 and restored sanctions on Tehran, in the vain hope that its maximum pressure would compel Iranian leaders to renegotiate a new deal. 
It has now launched a new campaign to convince the UN Security Council to indefinitely extend the arms embargo on Iran, which is to expire in October as per UN Resolution 2231 that endorsed the JCPOA. 
The US has prepared a related UN resolution based on the argument that despite exiting the deal, Washington remains an original participant under the terms of UNSCR 2231 and is even entitled to trigger JCPOA’s so-called snapback of all UN sanctions on Iran. 
Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, publicly threatened on Wednesday to trigger the return of UN sanctions if the UN Security Council does not extend the arms ban.
A resolution needs nine yes votes and no vetoes by Russia, China, the US, France or Britain to be adopted by the 15-member Security Council. Russia and China have already signaled their opposition. 
"If American diplomacy is frustrated by a veto, however, the US retains the right to renew the arms embargo by other means,” Hook wrote on Wall Street Journal.

Cynical Push 

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia described the move as “ridiculous” on Tuesday, saying, "They are not members; they have no right to trigger."
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also said the US is "in a state of gross violation of Resolution 2231" and it is cynical to push for the activation of the snapback mechanism. 
"No one is allowed to implement UN Security Council resolutions selectively and extremely fragmentarily," he said on Thursday in a discussion club. 
China's UN mission also rejected the US push, noting that Washington has "failed to meet its obligations" under the resolution that enshrined JCPOA.
The mission posted on Twitter that the United States "has no right to extend an arms embargo on Iran, let alone to trigger snapback. Maintaining JCPOA is the only right way moving forward." 
Zarif said it is not surprising for the US "to contend they are still a party to the agreement after officially leaving it".
"JCPOA is none of his [Brian Hook's] concern; what matters is [between] Iran and the remaining parties to the deal," he said. 
Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said Iran has already received several countries' offers on military equipment deliveries and plans to implement steps after the arms embargo is lifted this fall. 
"Ensuring its defense needs is Iran's legitimate right and when the restrictions are lifted, necessary steps will be made. Up to date, Iran has received offers on deliveries of military equipment and defensive armament, but the existing restrictions hindered deals in this area," Jalali was quoted as saying by Sputnik.