The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) rejected a resolution introduced by the US to extend the current arms embargo on Iran, on Friday. Opposing the resolution, China’s Ambassador to UN, Zhang Jun, stated, “once again shows that unilateralism receives no support and bullying will fail”. According to the July 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and the six world powers, the 13-year arms embargo against Iran expires on 18 October 2020. The draft resolution proposed by the US sought to extend the ban indefinitely.
Along with the US, the Dominican Republic was the only other state to vote in favour of the resolution. Eleven members of the UNSC—including the UK, France, and Germany—abstained, while Russia, like China, “strongly opposed” the resolution. A minimum of nine votes is required for the resolution to be passed by the Council. The overwhelming rejection of the resolution by the UNSC is being dubbed as a “diplomatic catastrophe” by the US. Jarret Blanc, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, explained how the UNSC rejection “demonstrates that President Donald Trump and his team are not only bad at the strategy of approaching Iran, they are bad at the day to day tactics of diplomacy”. He further added, “It is unconscionable that the US couldn't round up more than one vote for a resolution like this.”
As the US’ traditional allies in Europe abstained from voting, China’s envoy to UN emphasised how, by advocating an “America first” policy, the US “has abandoned its international obligations and withdrawn from multilateral agreements and international organisations, shattering its own credibility”. In May 2018, the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on the Middle Eastern state. However, Beijing is advocating for a diplomatic approach focused on “reserving and implementing the Iran nuclear deal" and "facilitate dialogue and consultation among relevant parties”.
Responding to the resounding failure of the resolution, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “The Security Council’s failure to act decisively in defense of international peace and security is inexcusable.” Further, Pompeo insinuated that the six Arab Gulf states and Israel had supported the extension due to regional security concerns of Iran spreading “even greater chaos and destruction if the embargo expires.”
Now, Washington has announced that it has plans to follow through on a provision in the nuclear deal called the ‘snapback’, which would trigger the restoration of UN sanctions, despite the fact that the Trump administration unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2018. The US on Thursday had already circulated a six-page memo to Council members explaining why it remains an important participant of the agreement and still holds the right to use the snapback option.
US envoy to the UN Kelly Craft insisted that Washington has “every right to initiate” a snapback, stating, “In the coming days, the United States will follow through on that promise to stop at nothing to extend the arms embargo.” However, a spokesperson for European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the US cannot be considered a participant of the JCPOA due to its withdrawal from the deal and its subsequent non-participation in the treaty's activities or structures.
Diplomatic experts have expressed that the US may implement the snapback by as early as next week, but that it could jeopardize the already-fragile nuclear agreement since there would then be no major incentive for Iran to limit its nuclear activities. After the Americans withdrew from the pact and imposed crippling unilateral sanctions on the Islamic Republic, it has already violated several clauses of the deal in response.
“Imposition of any sanctions or restrictions on Iran by the Security Council will be met severely by Iran and our options are not limited. And the United States and any entity which may assist it or acquiesce in its illegal behaviour will bear the full responsibility,” said Majid Takht Ravanchi, the Iranian Ambassador to the UN. China, too, contests the US’ threats of using the ‘snapback’ and maintains that, having withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal, the US is no longer a participant “and therefore ineligible to demand the Security Council invoke a snapback”.
Apart from China, Russia also remains committed to the Iran nuclear deal, also called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In this context, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for an “urgent online meeting” of the heads of the five states that are permanent members of the UNSC and the leaders of Germany and Iran to discuss the impending situation. Supporting Moscow’s move, Beijing said, “China is willing to work with parties concerned to keep close communication and coordination, and jointly promote the process of political resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue.”
Although China emphasises on using a diplomatic approach on the Iran issue, Beijing appears to be ratcheting up pressure in its relations with India and Japan. On the same day that the UNSC rejected Iran’s resolution, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a rare visit to Tibet. In his trip, Yi visited the disputed border with India as the military stand-off between the two states continues. The Foreign Minister is also China’s special representative in border talks with India. Yi’s visit was seen as “sending a message” to New Delhi, reiterating China’s “sovereignty over the disputed border areas”. At the same time, China’s relations with Tokyo have been tense in recent months. China’s self-imposed suspension of fishing near the disputed islands in the East China Sea ended on Sunday, sparking concerns that Beijing may deploy government and fishing vessels to the disputed Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands. Interestingly, China’s strained relations with the US, Japan, and India give impetus to better relations between Washington, Tokyo, and New Delhi.
UNSC Rejects US Resolution to Extend Arms Embargo on Iran, US Vows to Restore Sanctions
Beijing pledges support for Tehran while criticising Washington’s “unilateralism”.
August 17, 2020
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2016. SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER/AP