The US is making history not just by violating a United Nations Security Council resolution it voted for three years ago, but also by penalizing countries who stick to the same unanimous resolution, the Iranian ambassador to the UN says.
Gholamali Khoshroo argues in a commentary published by the Guardian on Wednesday that by abrogating a multilateral 2015 nuclear deal and imposing new sanctions on foreign companies doing business with Iran, the Trump administration is also reneging on UNSC Resolution 2231.
The resolution, unanimously adopted after the nuclear deal was signed in Vienna, calls on UN member states to refrain “from actions that undermine implementation of commitments” under the nuclear accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The new US sanctions, imposed on Tuesday, target Iran’s access to dollars and its ability to trade in gold and other precious metals.
US President Donald Trump claimed they were “the most biting ever imposed” and warned that in November, sanctions would “ratchet up to yet another level” with an embargo on Iranian oil and blanket sanctions on Iranian banks.
New Precedent
“For the first time in the history of the United Nations, the United States—a permanent member of the Security Council with veto power—is engaging in penalizing nations across the entire world; not for violating a Security Council resolution, rather, for abiding by it,” Khoshroo wrote.
“The US withdrawal from JCPOA and reimposition of its sanctions is a serious breach of its legal obligations under the United Nations Charter, which entails its international responsibility. The international community must act in the face of this international intimidation and affront towards the international legal order.”
Tragedy for Diplomacy
Khoshroo says the US administration’s abdication of the deal is a tragedy for multilateral diplomacy and will leave a deep scar on the credibility of such needed diplomatic ventures for some time to come.
“The specter of extreme unilateralism, terminal intransigence and the unwinding of vital global institutions is a threat not just to my country, but to every nation. It may be tempting to hope for the proverbial passing of the storm, but at this point in time that is clearly no longer a sustainable approach.”
He noted that each and every member of the community of nations has a duty to stand up to lawlessness and contempt for the rule of law in international relations, in particular, by refusing to give effect to irresponsible acts and by holding any law-breaking party accountable for the consequences of its acts.
