UN Security Council Supports Nuclear Agreement with Iran

On Monday, July 29, the United Nations Security Council issued a resolution supporting the final agreement reached between Iran and the P5+1 group. According to Reuters, all 15 members of the Security Council have expressed their support for this agreement. This endorsement comes six days after the Islamic Republic of Iran and the P5+1 countries reached a nuclear deal. According to the resolution issued on Monday, in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, Iran will face long-term constraints on its nuclear program. Under the agreement, world powers will not need to take action for 90 days, and after this period, they must be ready to lift sanctions against Iran upon receiving confirmation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The agreement announced on July 23 in Vienna between Iran and the world powers requested the adoption of a resolution in the Security Council to lift punitive sanctions against Iran based on seven previous Security Council resolutions. These Security Council resolutions have been the basis for international sanctions imposed on Iran over the past ten years. All provisions of the new resolution will be valid for ten years, which includes the issue of reinstating sanctions in case of violations of commitments. The draft of this resolution was presented to the Security Council by Samantha Power, the U.S. representative to the UN. One clause of this resolution states that no sanctions against Iran will be lifted unless the IAEA sends a report to the Security Council confirming that Iran has implemented the commitments of the final agreement. The Security Council resolution allows the delivery of ballistic missile technology and heavy weapons to Iran, with the approval of Security Council members, but the United States has stated that it will veto such actions. Restrictions on ballistic missile technology will remain for eight years, and restrictions on heavy weapons for five years. The Security Council resolution also maintains conventional arms sanctions against Iran for five years. At the same time, the resolution allows UN sanctions to revert to their previous state in case of violations of the final agreement by Iran over the next ten years. On the other hand, in such a case, if the Security Council fails to vote on a resolution in this regard, sanctions will automatically revert to their previous state. This process ensures that none of the veto-wielding powers, including Russia and China, can prevent the reinstatement of sanctions. After the adoption of this resolution, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power emphasized the importance of diplomatic power, referencing the 70th anniversary of the UN and lessons learned from recent wars. She quoted John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, and reiterated it by Barack Obama, saying, 'Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.' The U.S. Ambassador to the UN stressed the importance of resolving the Iranian nuclear crisis through democracy, while also stating that resolving the Iranian nuclear dispute does not mean ignoring Tehran's 'human rights record' or its actions in support of what she called 'terrorism.' Samantha Power also urged Iran to release imprisoned American citizens Jason Rezaian, Amir Hekmati, and Pastor Saeed Abedini, and to follow up on the status of missing Robert Levinson. However, Gholamali Khoshroo, Iran's representative to the UN, dismissed Ms. Power's accusations as 'baseless and ridiculous.' Khoshroo told the Security Council, 'A country that has attacked two countries in our region and created the conditions for the growth of extremism and terrorism is not in a position to make such accusations against my country.' Vitaly Churkin, Russia's representative to the UN, also expressed hope that the 'extraordinary experience' of the negotiations over Iran's nuclear case could be used to resolve other disputes at the international level. While Abbas Araqchi, a senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team, described the Security Council resolution on Monday as 'unique,' the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that some provisions of the draft resolution 'will never be accepted' and 'have no validity.' Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the IRGC, said on Monday that some of the provisions of the published draft of this resolution 'are in contradiction with important red lines of the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially regarding military capabilities and will never be accepted.' According to Tasnim News Agency, he added, 'Any resolution that contradicts our red lines has no validity, and we hope the UN Security Council does not waste its time approving such a draft.' Two days before Jafari's remarks, Rasoul Sanaei Rad, head of the political office of the IRGC, stated regarding the U.S. draft resolution that Iran's military capabilities, including access to ballistic missiles, 'are non-negotiable.' These military commanders' statements come as Abbas Araqchi, a senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team, stated that the generalities of the Security Council resolution on Monday 'are not under Article 41 and Chapter VII of the UN Charter... and will not be legally binding.' According to IRIB News Agency, he also added, 'The Security Council in this resolution asks Iran not to engage in missile activities designed to carry nuclear warheads, which we have no program for.' According to Araqchi, based on paragraph 9 of Security Council resolution 1929, which is the last resolution issued against Iran, Iran's missile activities 'were completely prohibited' and allowed countries to 'resort to force against Iran.' He also emphasized that the Security Council resolution on Monday is 'unique and unprecedented in the history of this council.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, emphasized on Saturday, July 27, that after the nuclear agreement with the P5+1, the 'defensive capabilities and security perimeter' of the Islamic Republic 'will be preserved' and that Iran will 'never submit' to what he called 'the excesses of the enemy.' He referred to the 'legal path' for the ratification of the agreement between Iran and the P5+1, saying, 'We expect those involved to carefully consider the national issue and what they deliver to the nation so that they can present it with their heads held high before the Almighty God.' According to a law titled 'Obligation of the Government to Preserve Nuclear Achievements and Rights,' which was passed by the Iranian parliament and also approved by the Guardian Council on Wednesday, July 3, the 'result of negotiations' regarding Iran's nuclear program 'must be presented to the parliament for compliance with the constitution and legal resolutions.' Araqchi emphasized in his remarks on Monday that there is no possibility of approving or rejecting parts of this agreement or making amendments to it, and the parliament and the Supreme National Security Council of Iran 'can only approve or reject the entirety of this agreement.'