The UK Embassy in Moscow on Thursday explained London's position concerning the launch of the Iran nuclear deal dispute resolution mechanism, saying that the move was not a pretext for a possible referral of the issue to the UN Security Council (UNSC) or the reimposition of sanctions against Tehran within the ultimate stage of the mechanism
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2020) The UK Embassy in Moscow on Thursday explained London's position concerning the launch of the Iran nuclear deal dispute resolution mechanism, saying that the move was not a pretext for a possible referral of the issue to the UN Security Council (UNSC) or the reimposition of sanctions against Tehran within the ultimate stage of the mechanism.
On January 5, Iran announced that it would abandon the remaining portion of its commitments under the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), specifically on the acceptable levels of uranium enrichment. Last week, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, also known as the E3 countries, announced the activation of the JCPOA dispute resolution mechanism, saying that Iran's actions had no legal grounds and were therefore inconsistent with the deal. The mechanism stipulates that the UN Security Council be notified if no consensus is found by the parties, which could result in the reimposition of sanctions on Iran.
"We are not launching this mechanism as a pretext for referring the issue to the UNSC or imposing sanctions. The E3 countries fully adhere to their commitments under the JCPOA, including the lifting of sanctions," the embassy said.
The diplomatic mission noted that the E3 states were forced to initiate the dispute mechanism, noting that it was aimed at finding a constructive solution to the Iran nuclear problem and using diplomatic means to make Tehran comply with its commitments under JCPOA.
"If the problem remains unresolved, any of the parties to the JCPOA could notify the UNSC of the non-compliance with the deal and the possibility of imposing sanctions. This is not an end in itself. We are fully committed to preserving the JCPOA," the embassy stated.
The future of the JCPOA became uncertain when the United States unilaterally withdrew from the pact in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions on Iran. A year later, Iran began reducing its obligations under the deal and said it would continue to do so unless the European signatories guaranteed its interests.
