Islam Times - Iran: Extending Arms Embargo Means Death of Nuclear Deal

Islam Times - Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali warned on Monday that if the United States continues arms embargo against Iran, it will mean the death of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“They [the US] have recently initiated a UN Security Council meeting to create prerequisites to extend an arms embargo against Iran. If the US manages do it, the JCPOA may as well be pronounced dead,” Jalali told Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

In late June, the United States put forward a resolution to extend the UNSC arms embargo against Tehran despite the JCPOA provisions. According to Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft, the US will push the United Nations Security Council to vote on it as soon as mid-July.

In 2015, Iran signed the JCPOA with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and the European Union. It required Iran to scale back its nuclear program and severely downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the arms embargo five years after the deal’s adoption.

In 2018, the United States abandoned its conciliatory stance on Iran, withdrawing from the JCPOA and implementing hard-line policies against Tehran. The current UN embargo, negotiated as part of the 2015 deal, expires in October.