US Announces Sanctions on Iran Despite UN Disagreement

Secretary Pompeo speaks at the United Nations (The Guardian).

Breaking from every other member of the United Nations Security Council, the United States announced its unilateral reimposition of the 2015 UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran on September 19. Iran and much of the international community views this decision as illegitimate due to legality issues. The sanctions were announced via an executive order President Donald Trump signed, which was accompanied by an announcement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a press conference in Washington.

The U.S. government argues for the legitimacy of the sanctions because Iran has “repeatedly lied about its secret nuclear weapons archive” in violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan for Action (JCPOA). This violation includes the discovery of Iran’s uranium stockpile at 10 times the allowed limit. Although the U.S. pulled out of this agreement in 2018, it argues that it is still technically a participant due to its seat on the UN Security Council, and therefore the snapback mechanism of the sanctions should apply. The United States articulated that it will punish all United Nations member states and other entities that violate its sanctions, regardless of the questions of its legitimacy. 

Despite the United States’ fervent measures, every Security Council member has rejected these sanctions. Both the United Kingdom and France announced that the United States’ assertion was “incapable of having any legal effect.” Russia also views the move as illegitimate, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres also stated that he is unable to take any action due to uncertainty. 

Iran branded US sanctions as bullying, and Iranian President Rouhani said in a televised speech that he “vows a crushing response.” Iran has not elaborated on what a response to the sanctions could entail. Rouhani also views the U.S. attempt at sanctions as “futile,” and has said that “the US approach is a major threat to the international peace and security.” From the perspective of Iran, these sanctions come as an act of desperation and a failure on the part of the United States. 

If enacted, these sanctions could result in several unfavorable outcomes for the United States, Iran, and the international community. For Iran, these sanctions heavily target all aspects of their arms industry, whether direct or indirect. In addition, the United States risks isolating itself from its allies, although Secretary of State Pompeo has rejected the possibility of this outcome. For the international community as a whole, this is a brewing conflict that has the potential to involve more countries. The United States has not hesitated to make declarations to involve all United Nations member nations, and each member of the Security Council has a stake in this conflict. 

While the United States has had political wins in the Middle East orchestrating agreements with countries such as Israel, the UAE, and Qatar, the current state of relations with Iran could undermine this standard of success.