Sanctions on Iran Archives - Iran News Daily

Guterres Not to Take Any Action on Iran Sanctions

reporter 1222 — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 06:30:06 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council he cannot take any action on a US declaration that all UN sanctions on Iran had been reimposed because “there would appear to be uncertainty” on the issue.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month that he triggered a 30-day process at the council leading to the return of UN sanctions on Iran on Saturday evening that would also stop a conventional arms embargo on Tehran from expiring on Oct. 18.

But 13 of the 15 Security Council members say Washington’s move is void because Pompeo used a mechanism agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which the United States quit in 2018.

“There would appear to be uncertainty whether or not the process … was indeed initiated and concomitantly whether or not the (sanctions) terminations … continue in effect,” Guterres wrote in a letter to the council, seen by Reuters.

“It is not for the Secretary-General to proceed as if no such uncertainty exists,” he said.

UN officials provide administrative and technical support to the Security Council to implement its sanctions regimes and Guterres appoints independent experts to monitor implementation. He said that “pending clarification” of the status of the Iran sanctions, he would not take any action to provide that support.

Washington argues it triggered the return of sanctions – known as “snapback” – because a UN resolution that enshrines the pact still names it as a participant. Diplomats say few countries are likely to reimpose the measures lifted under the 2015 deal, known as the JCPOA.

“If UN Member States fail to fulfill their obligations to implement these sanctions, the United States is prepared to use our domestic authorities to impose consequences for those failures,” Pompeo said in a statement on Saturday.

He said that in the coming days Washington would announce additional measures to strengthen the implementation of the UN sanctions and “hold violators accountable.”

Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy responded on Twitter, “We all clearly said in August that US claims to trigger snapback are illegitimate. Is Washington deaf?”

Longtime US allies Britain, France and Germany told the council on Friday that UN sanctions relief for Iran would continue and that any decision or action taken to reimpose UN sanctions “would be incapable of legal effect.”

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Britain, France, Germany: UN Sanctions Relief to Continue After Sept 20

reporter 1222 — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 06:20:33 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Britain, France and Germany told the UN Security Council on Friday that UN sanctions relief for Iran – agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal – would continue beyond Sept. 20, when the United States asserts that all the measures should be reimposed.

In a letter to the 15-member body, seen by Reuters, the three European parties to the nuclear deal and long-time US allies said any decision or action taken to reimpose UN sanctions “would be incapable of legal effect.”

The United States quit the nuclear deal in 2018.

“We have worked tirelessly to preserve the nuclear agreement and remain committed to do so,” said the UN envoys for Britain, France and Germany, adding that they remain committed to “fully implementing” a 2015 Security Council resolution that enshrines the pact, which also included Russia and China.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month that he triggered a 30-day process at the Security Council leading to a return of UN sanctions on Iran on Saturday (0000 GMT Sunday) that would also prevent a conventional arms embargo on Tehran from expiring on Oct. 18.

But 13 of the Security Council members say Washington’s move is void because it is no longer a party to the nuclear deal. The United States say it can make the move because the 2015 Security Council resolution still names it as a participant.

Diplomats say few countries are likely to reimpose the measures, which were lifted under the deal.

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UNSC President Dismisses US Sanctions Bid on Iran

reporter 1222 — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 10:02:40 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The president of the UNSC, said on it was “not in the position to take further action” on a US bid to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran because there is no consensus in the 15-member body.

Indonesia’s UN Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani, council president for August, was responding to a question from Russia and China on the issue during a meeting on the Middle East on Tuesday, AFP reported.

On Friday, the US was further isolated over its bid to reimpose international sanctions on Iran with 13 countries on the 15-member UNSC opposing it, arguing that Washington’s sanctions bid is void given it is using a process agreed under a nuclear deal it quit two years ago.

In the 24 hours since US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he triggered a 30-day countdown to a return of UN sanctions on Iran, including an arms embargo, Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium as well as China, Russia, Vietnam, Niger, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines, South Africa, Indonesia, Estonia and Tunisia wrote letters in opposition.

Diplomats said Russia, China, and many other countries are unlikely to reimpose the sanctions on Iran. Pompeo again warned Russia and China against that on Friday, threatening US action if they refuse to reimpose the UN measures on Iran.

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G77, China Demand Sanctions Relief amid Pandemic

reporter 1222 — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 07:55:24 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The G77 and China called for an end to unilateral sanctions against countries like Iran and Venezuela during the coronavirus crisis, warning they could hinder efforts to tackle the pandemic.

In a Friday statement implicitly aimed at the United States, which has sanctions against Iran and Venezuela, the coalition of developing nations said the application of “unilateral coercive economic measures will have a negative impact on the capacity of states to respond efficiently.”

The G77 warned that such measures would affect targeted countries’ acquisition of medical equipment and supplies “to adequately treat their populations in the face of this pandemic.”

“We, therefore, call upon the international community to adopt urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries,” the statement said, AFP reported.

Since the start of the year, the US has been rejecting demands for any suspension of sanctions that are having a serious impact on countries that have been badly hit by the pandemic, such as Iran.

In some cases, it has even tightened its punitive measures.

The European Union says sanctions must not be allowed to hobble the fight against the coronavirus.

European diplomats said that if any measures hurt a targeted country’s ability to battle the pandemic, exemptions can easily be made.

The UN General Assembly, however, recently failed to approve a Russian-backed resolution calling for UN solidarity in the face of the challenges posed by the new virus and urging an end to trade wars, protectionist practices and unilateral sanctions without UN Security Council approval.

Friday’s statement only targeted unilateral measures and not international sanctions taken by the United Nations against countries like North Korea.

China takes part in the G77 business but does not consider itself to be a member of the 134-member coalition, meaning official statements are issued by the “G77 and China.”

The grouping represents three quarters of United Nations members and some 80 percent of the world’s population, according to the UN.

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US’ Cruel Sanctions on Iran Affecting Rare Disease Patients

reporter 1222 — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 17:31:52 +0000

US’ Cruel Sanctions on Iran Affecting Rare Disease Patients: Official

According To Iran News, The head of Iran’s Organ Transplant Management Center said the “cruel” sanctions imposed by the US against the Islamic Republic have negatively affected patients with rare diseases.

Speaking at a meeting with high-ranking Spanish health officials in Madrid, Mehdi Shadnoush presented a report on the situation of patients with rare diseases in Iran and described the US sanctions and their impact on their quality of life and sufferings as “cruel and inhumane”.

Patients with rare diseases around the world have common pains, and the US government should answer the question as to why these patients’ lives should be affected by the political and economic developments, he added.

“The US restrictions have been inhumane and created problems for patients with rare diseases but the Iranian government remains committed to providing the necessary support for them…,” Shadnoush went on to say.

During the meeting, the two sides also exchanged views about a range of issues, including ways to reduce the problems of Iranian patients with rare diseases.

Back in April, Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri said the “inhumane” move by the US government to impose severe sanctions on the Islamic Republic has put the health of the Iranian people and regional nations at risk.

Addressing the 7th World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2019 on the southern island of Kish on April 29, Jahangiri deplored Washington’s acts of sabotage against Iran’s medicine sector and said the US move to threaten international pharmaceutical companies not to cooperate with Iran has prevented the purchase and imports of needed medicines.

“…We believe that given the role of Iran in providing a large part of the pharmaceutical needs of regional countries, the sanctions on Iran’s health sector is tantamount to sanctions on the health sectors of regional countries,” he said.

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