In the wake of the US activation of the 'snapback' mechanism of sanctions against Iran due to Iranian noncompliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the UN, addressed an official letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, demanding that the world body re-establishes its Sanctions Committee and the Panel of Experts, which oversees the enforcement of the Iranian sanctions.
"Iran has blatantly violated the nuclear agreement and its ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons have been exposed," claimed Erdan in the letter.
"Therefore, in accordance with the 'snapback' mechanism made available at the signing of the agreement and recently initiated by the United States, all sanctions imposed on the regime are to be reinstated, and the UN Secretary-General must take the required action as set forth in the relevant Security Council resolutions.”
Erdan stated that "in recent years, Iran has proven itself to be the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism," adding that Iran "has never renounced its nuclear program and continues to proliferate weapons to its proxies in our region and beyond."
"Wherever there is slaughter and bloodshed, we see the direct involvement of the Iranian regime. Therefore, it poses a clear threat to the stability and security of the Middle East and of the world," Erdan said.
"The United Nations must act immediately to impose crippling sanctions on the regime and to put an end to its murderous actions," continued Erdan, concluding his letter by emphasizing that "Iran constitutes the greatest threat to the Middle East today, if not to the entire world."
The ambassador expressed Israel's full support for America's triggering of the snapback mechanism at the UN Security Council since the very beginning of the process.
"Israel stands firmly with the United States, and will do all in its power to assist the US government in stopping Iran’s malign activities and aspirations," Erdan declared.
A re-imposition of the 2015 UNSC sanctions would also include an arms embargo that would act to prevent the flow of arms to Iran, once a separate Security Council arms embargo on the Islamic Republic is automatically lifted in October.
Thirteen of the 15 UNSC members have said that the US request is illegal since it withdrew from the 2015 Iran deal. But Washington argues that as one of the five permanent Security Council members, it has a right to call for the snapback.Eleven council members abstained in the vote to extend the arms embargo, with Russia and China opposing the measure, and the US and the Dominican Republic supporting it.Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.