NEW YORK: Russia does not recognize the return of United Nations sanctions on Iran, Moscow’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters on Wednesday when asked if his country would enforce the measures.
The United Nations reinstated an arms embargo and other sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program on Saturday evening, following a process – known as “snapback”, triggered by European powers. Tehran has warned the move would be met with a harsh response.
Britain, France and Germany initiated the snapback process at the UN Security Council over accusations that Iran had violated a 2015 deal aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear bomb. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.
“We do not recognize the snapback as coming into force,” Nebenzia said at a press conference marking the start of Russia’s presidency of the UN Security Council for October.
“We’ll be living in two parallel realities, because for some, snapback happened, for us it didn’t. That creates a problem. How we will get out of it, let’s see,” he added.
The collapse of the decade-long nuclear deal, originally agreed by Iran, Britain, Germany, France, the United States, Russia, and China, threatens to exacerbate tensions in the Middle East, just months after Israel and the US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
“This development is really fraught with a major escalation around Iran, because it opens the door for those countries who want to finish Iran’s nuclear program,” said Nebenzia, referring to the military action by Israel and the US in June.
With the return of UN sanctions, Iran will again face an arms embargo, a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, and restrictions on ballistic missile programs. Other sanctions to be reimposed include a travel ban on dozens of Iranian citizens, asset freezes on individuals and entities, and a ban on the supply of materials that could be used in Iran’s nuclear program.
-WNN
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