Exclusive; U.S. State Department: Sanctions Remain in Place to Counter Iran's Weapon Development

The U.S. State Department stated in a written response to VOA regarding the expiration of restrictions on Iran's weapons and whether this raises concerns for the U.S. that President Joe Biden takes the threat from Iran extremely seriously. On Wednesday, October 18, the State Department said: "Under the Biden administration, the United States has taken numerous actions to address Iran's nuclear program, the development and proliferation of missiles and drones, financing of terrorism, and other concerning and destabilizing behaviors both domestically and globally." In response to the question of whether the revival of the JCPOA is an option after October 18, and how the Biden administration might react if one of the European signatories decides to do so, the State Department said that the decision to revive the JCPOA rests with the E3 group - namely France, Germany, and the UK - and that the U.S. is not part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that could undertake such actions. According to the State Department, the unilateral withdrawal of the previous U.S. administration from the JCPOA "weakened the collective ability of the United States and its allies to address Iran's destabilizing activities at the United Nations." However, the department emphasized that sanctions against Iran are not going anywhere and remain firmly in place. The U.S. State Department told VOA that "we do not rely solely on Security Council Resolution 2231 to limit the development and proliferation of dangerous missile and drone-related technologies from Iran, but rather on a comprehensive set of multilateral and unilateral tools." The department added: "We will continue to use all our tools to counter the development and proliferation of Iranian missiles and drones, including sanctions, unilateral and multilateral export controls, illegal activities, diplomatic promises, and cooperation with private industries." The U.S. State Department emphasized: "The United States has already sanctioned the same networks and entities subject to UN restrictions under Security Council Resolution 2231. We also strongly support the E3 countries' decision to maintain nuclear, conventional weapons, and missile restrictions against Iran. This demonstrates our close coordination with our European allies in our approach to Iran under the Biden administration." The department added that with the maintenance of European sanctions by the E3 group, "the strongest sanctions frameworks in the world to counter Iran's weapon development remain in place." The U.S. State Department warned that these sanctions will have serious costs for entities and individuals involved, and "any country or entity that intends to engage in any way in Iran's missile and drone programs should think twice before doing so." According to the provisions of Security Council Resolution 2231, on October 18, 2023, the UN-imposed restrictions on certain Iranian weapons programs will be lifted. However, the lifting of these sanctions is conditional on the Iranian government not having engaged in any prohibited military activities - including those related to ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear weapons - over the past eight years, from the time the JCPOA was reached until the expiration of these sanctions. Meanwhile, in recent years, the Islamic Republic has been accused by the United States and JCPOA parties of violating this resolution. The Islamic Republic of Iran claims it has no intention of building nuclear weapons and describes its nuclear program as peaceful. Shahid Shahid Thalith: The Islamic Republic sells its oil and is not waiting for the outcome of the JCPOA revival negotiations. Britain maintains nuclear and missile sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Michael McCaul called for the extension of the Islamic Republic's missile sanctions; Russia: We do not comply with the Security Council. Russia says it no longer sees the need to comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the Islamic Republic's missile program. Borrell: Disputes over the implementation of the JCPOA remain unresolved. The head of the Atomic Energy Organization: We have removed inspectors from countries that have "harsh positions" against the Islamic Republic. The U.S.: The Islamic Republic must take further steps to reduce tensions to return to the JCPOA.