The Iranian foreign minister in a Twitter message on Tuesday said that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pretends that the UN resolution is independent of the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“@SecPompeo pretends UNSCR 2231 is independent of #JCPOA.

He should READ in 2231. JCPOA is PART of 2231. That’s why it’s 104 pages—& why he’s not read it.

2231 for Dummies:

-It would NOT EXIST w/o JCPOA

-The US violated it & prevented others from complying

-US has NO standing”, Zarif twitted.

Zarif’s comments came as the US secretary of state has ramped up his attempts in recent weeks to extend Iran arms embargo which expires in October under Iran’s nuclear agreement with world powers.

Washington is legally prohibited from taking such action as it left the deal in May 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran.

The US claims that Washington has not quit the Iran nuclear deal and technically remains a “participant state.”

“US Security Council Resolution 2231 is unambiguous where the United States is a participant,” Pompeo claimed at a press briefing Wednesday. “We are going to make sure that come October of this year, the Iranians aren’t able to buy conventional weapons.”

A report by The New York Times on April 26 said Pompeo plans to invoke a provision in the UN-endorsed international nuclear agreement in an attempt to either extend beyond October the UN arms embargo in place against Iran since 2006/2007 or get the world body to slap even harsher sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

But a renewal of the arms embargo is likely to meet opposition from Russia and China, which have veto power in the Security Council.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi on Monday vowed to give a “decisive response” to a potential extension of an arms embargo against the country, according to Press TV.

Mousavi said, “Iran will serve an appropriate and decisive response to such a measure”, referring to the potential submission of Iran’s case to the United Nations Security Council and the likely extension of the embargo.

Mousavi hoped for such a prospect not to come about.

“We are waiting to see the direction in which the circumstances are going to develop, and will then act based on them and deliver a response,” he said.

Mousavi noted that the US was no longer a party to the agreement that is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“The US has a historical record of non-commitment to its international obligations,” he said. “[Its actions concerning] the JCPOA manifest one of its unilateral approaches, which showed it is a regime that does not believe in the rule of law and international regulations and is the biggest violator of those regulations.”