E3 say cannot support US move to restore UN sanctions on Iran

“The US actions are incompatible with our current efforts to support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” the countries known as the E3 said.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
A European Union flag flies outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2019. (photo credit: REUTERS/YVES HERMAN)
A European Union flag flies outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2019.
(photo credit: REUTERS/YVES HERMAN)
The United States has no right to call for the snapback of UN sanctions against Tehran, which runs contrary to efforts to ensure the survival of the Iran deal, Security Council members France, Germany and the United Kingdom said on Thursday.
“The US actions are incompatible with our current efforts to support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” the countries known as the E3 said.
The countries noted that the US, which was one of the signatories to the original 2015 deal, had lost its ability to exercise the clause in the document that allowed signatories to restore UN sanction due to non-compliance.
“We remain committed to the JCPOA despite the significant challenges caused by US withdrawal. We believe that we should address the current issue of systematic Iranian non-compliance with its JCPOA obligations through dialogue between JCPoA participants, including through the Joint Commission and use of the Dispute Resolution Mechanism,” the E3 said.
“In order to preserve the agreement, we urge Iran to reverse all measures inconsistent with its nuclear commitments and return to full compliance without delay,” it added.
The E3 spoke out after US Secretary Mike Pompeo visits the UN in New York and formerly requested the snapback, a process which takes 30 days. Such a move would effectively end the deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear program that was signed in 2015 between Tehran and the six world powers: the US, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom and Germany.