Tehran: The United States and European countries are accused of aggressively imposing their ‘absurd policies and actions’ at international platforms, including the UN Security Council (UNSC), according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the statement released on the Russian Foreign Ministry website revealed that the US and its European allies exerted pressure on non-permanent members of the UNSC during a vote concerning a draft resolution aimed at preventing the re-imposition of sanctions against Iran. The statement criticized countries that yielded to what it termed as blackmail and threats, noting their inability to clearly justify their opposition to the outdated sanctions that predated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The statement further alleged that Western countries are desperately attempting to legitimize their blatant breach of Resolution 2231, a resolution they had initially endorsed. It was highlighted that the results of Friday’s vote do not impose any obligation on other nations to enforce restrictions on Iran.
Russia also made it clear that the process to reapply sanctions is not finalized, despite efforts by the US and European countries to impose their fundamentally flawed policies on others. “We must reject the Western dictates and their absurd actions in international affairs, as well as abuse the authority and powers of the UNSC to settle political scores with Tehran,” the statement declared.
The statement came in the wake of a draft sponsored by South Korea, serving as the current president of the UN Security Council. This followed an appeal from Britain, France, and Germany-referred to as the E3 and European Troika, all signatories of the 2015 Iran deal-to reinstate previous sanctions by triggering the ‘snapback mechanism.’
In the UNSC vote, only Russia, China, Pakistan, and Algeria supported the draft calling for the permanent cessation of sanctions on Iran. Conversely, the US, Britain, France, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Denmark, Greece, Panama, and Somalia opposed it, with Guyana and South Korea abstaining.
The Russian statement reiterated its long-standing opposition to what it described as the ‘provocative and illegal’ actions of the European signatories to the JCPOA. It warned that such European maneuvers lack diplomatic foundation and could exacerbate tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
“We had explained in detail with convincing arguments why the E3’s snapback request cannot be considered a notification within the framework of paragraph 11 of the Security Council Resolution 2231,” the Ministry emphasized, highlighting that the draft brought forth by the rotating presidency for a vote does not fulfill the resolution’s requirements.