Russia, China build case at U.N. to protect Iran from U.S. sanctions threat

[webfact]

Russia, China build case at U.N. to protect Iran from U.S. sanctions threat

By Michelle Nichols

 

FILE PHOTO: The United Nations Headquarters is pictured as it will be temporarily closed for tours due to the spread of coronavirus in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 10, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Russia and China have started making the case at the United Nations against Washington's claim that it can trigger a return of all sanctions on Iran at the Security Council, with Moscow invoking a 50-year-old international legal opinion to argue against the move.

 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the Chinese government's top diplomat, Wang Yi, both wrote to the 15-member council and U.N. chief Antonio Guterres as the United States threatens to spark a so-called sanctions snapback under the Iran nuclear deal, even though Washington quit the accord in 2018.

 

Lavrov wrote in the May 27 letter, made public this week, that the United States was being "ridiculous and irresponsible."

 

"This is absolutely unacceptable and serves only to recall the famous English proverb about having one's cake and eating it," Lavrov wrote.

 

Washington has threatened to trigger a return of U.N. sanctions on Iran if the Security Council does not extend an arms embargo due to expire in October under Tehran's deal with world powers to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.

 

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Craft said last week that a draft resolution on the embargo would be circulated soon.

 

Council veto-powers Russia and China have already signaled they are against reimposing an arms embargo on Iran. If they block the U.S.-drafted resolution, then Washington will have to follow through on its sanctions snapback threat.

 

"The United States, no longer a participant to the JCPOA (nuclear deal) after walking away from it, has no right to demand the Security Council invoke a snapback," Wang wrote in his June 7 letter.

 

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, enshrined in a U.N. resolution, allows for return of sanctions on Iran, including the arms embargo, if Iran violates the deal. U.S. President Donald Trump quit the deal in 2018, branding the accord from Barack Obama's presidency as "the worst deal ever."

 

Lavrov cited a 1971 International Court of Justice opinion, which found that a fundamental principle governing international relationships was that "a party which disowns or does not fulfill its own obligations cannot be recognized as retaining the rights which it claims to derive from the relationship."

 

Iran has breached parts of the nuclear deal in response to the U.S. withdrawal and Washington's reimposition of sanctions.

 

The United States argues it can still trigger the sanctions snapback because the 2015 U.N. resolution still names it as a participant. Diplomats say Washington would likely face a tough, messy battle.

 

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-10

 

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[Deli]

2 commie nations helping a notorious terror regime, with political views from the stone age.

And all 3 of them don't even know how to spell human rights. Where are the protesters marching now for rights ?

[Eric Loh]

Thought US intend to withdraw from the UN completely. They already withdrew from the UN Educational, Scientific and cultural Organization, UN Human Rights Council and WHO Why the sudden longing to be part of the UN and appealing to the Security Council to sanction Iran. Certainly right description of having one's cake and eating it.  

[Baerboxer]

So nice to see totalitarian dictatorships in which opposition, critics, human rights and freedoms are not tolerated sticking together.

 

Russia, trying to re-establish itself as a world power, with mercenaries in Libya and military in Syria; China grabbing the South China sea for itself and slowly but surely entangling African countries in its web. And that bastion of modern thinking and humanitarianism, 16th century Iran. 

 

The meToo, BLM, Antifa and assorted extreme left wing liberals better get their protesting, thieving and vandalism over before the Russo-Chinese faction become dominant. Because they'll shoot, hang or ship them off to a gulag! Nice opportunity for organ harvesting though.

[Pedrogaz]

Russia and China should do what US does in such cases. Ignore the UN and trade as normal with Iran without using the dollar. They should also sell modern arms to Iran.

[DeaconJohn]

1 hour ago, Pedrogaz said:

Russia and China should do what US does in such cases. Ignore the UN and trade as normal with Iran without using the dollar. They should also sell modern arms to Iran.

If American bungling in the Middle East continues that situation will doubtless become reality.

[Sujo]

US pulls out of the deal which causes iran to have a minor breach. US then demands action for which it has no authority because it withdrew.

 

Yes cake and eat it. Its a sad day when russia and china hold the high moral ground over the US.

 

Add to that the US has lost the trust of its normal allies.

 

Making America insignificant.

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

So nice to see totalitarian dictatorships in which opposition, critics, human rights and freedoms are not tolerated sticking together.

 

Russia, trying to re-establish itself as a world power, with mercenaries in Libya and military in Syria; China grabbing the South China sea for itself and slowly but surely entangling African countries in its web. And that bastion of modern thinking and humanitarianism, 16th century Iran. 

 

The meToo, BLM, Antifa and assorted extreme left wing liberals better get their protesting, thieving and vandalism over before the Russo-Chinese faction become dominant. Because they'll shoot, hang or ship them off to a gulag! Nice opportunity for organ harvesting though.

Oh the Falung Gong line.

 

Completely unproven of course, just elementary maths,

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[Kasset Tak]

20 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

So nice to see totalitarian dictatorships in which opposition, critics, human rights and freedoms are not tolerated sticking together.

 

Russia, trying to re-establish itself as a world power, with mercenaries in Libya and military in Syria; China grabbing the South China sea for itself and slowly but surely entangling African countries in its web. And that bastion of modern thinking and humanitarianism, 16th century Iran. 

 

The meToo, BLM, Antifa and assorted extreme left wing liberals better get their protesting, thieving and vandalism over before the Russo-Chinese faction become dominant. Because they'll shoot, hang or ship them off to a gulag! Nice opportunity for organ harvesting though.

And US have military and mercenaries in how many countries?!
US placed nukes in Poland (on the border to Russia) and then US and NATO started complaining the Russia moved their nukes closer to the Polish/NATO border...
US complain about Russian flybys when US were conducting a military exercise on international waters... less than 5 miles outside Russian territorial water.
UK are complaining that Russian air plains are flying too close to UK and send fighters to intercept the Russian plains... but the plains are over international waters.
As a NATO member Turkey tried to buy US patriot missiles for a decade but US denied, so then Turkey bought Russian S-400 (they are better than the patriot system anyway...)... and now US is furious about that.
And so it goes on and on that everyone are to blame, when US are doing the exact same thing to other countries.

When will US and NATO leaders and troops be held accountable for their actions? For example, US and UK lied to the world that Iraq had WMDs... and the WMDs they found, US and UK had sold to Iraq in the first place!
US don't want Iran to have nukes because they might start a war... but US had no problem giving nukes to the Israelis who have been fighting with it's neighbors since US and UK gave Palestine to the Jews (not thinking about the people already living there...).