Russian Foreign Ministry slams European push for Iran sanctions

Russia has voiced strong opposition to the reimposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran, rejecting recent efforts by European countries and criticising the process as “lacking legal and diplomatic legitimacy.”

In a statement issued by its Foreign Ministry, Moscow challenged a draft resolution put forward by the Republic of Korea on September 19 in response to an earlier letter from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, Caliber.Az reports.  

The letter accused Iran of significant non-compliance with its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

According to the Russian statement, European signatories to the JCPOA, alongside South Korea in its capacity as current president of the UN Security Council, are engaging in what it described as a “provocative” and “manipulative” approach that could worsen tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Moscow maintains that the European appeal to the UN Security Council cannot be considered a valid notification under Paragraph 11 of Resolution 2231 — the resolution that endorsed the JCPOA and laid out the procedure for reimposing sanctions in the event of non-compliance. 

The ministry argues that the latest presidential draft resolution fails to meet the resolution’s legal criteria and, therefore, “cannot, a priori, lead to the restoration of previously lifted UN sanctions against Iran.”

In response to the European-backed initiative, Russia and China have submitted an alternative draft resolution. This proposal calls for a six-month “technical delay” in implementing certain aspects of the JCPOA and Resolution 2231. 

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the aim is to “create conditions for the effective implementation” of agreements reached on September 9 in Cairo between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and to allow for “an energetic search for negotiated solutions” to outstanding concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities.

The statement from Moscow emphasised that any solution “must be rooted in international law and take into account Iran’s legitimate interests.”

By Sabina Mammadli