China opposes any pressure or sanction against Iran: FM spox

Reacting to US pressure on Security Council to activate the snapback, the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said that Beijing opposes any pressure and sanction against Tehran, and considers negotiation as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

Iran PressAsia: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in a press conference in Beijing on Monday, while opposing any pressure and sanctions against Iran on the issue of the Iran Nuclear Deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), stated: "Like we stressed many times, the US unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA means renunciation of its rights as a participant of the deal, and it is in no position to demand enacting the snap-back mechanism.”

Pointing out that US pressure on United Nations Security Council is causing a crisis for the council, he added that the categorical rejection of the extension of the arms embargo on Iran in the Security Council showed that unilateralism is not being supported.

In early August, the United States once again accused Iran of violating the nuclear deal and announced plans to restore UN sanctions on Tehran. On August 20, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notified the United Nations that Washington was initiating the process to reinstate all UN sanctions on Iran. The US believes that the sanctions may come back into effect in 30 days.

Related News:

US formally requests ‘snapback’ of UN sanctions against Iran

Under the JCPOA, the state parties - Russia, the US, the UK, China, France, and Germany - can trigger a snapback mechanism to reimpose sanctions on Iran if Tehran violates the deal. Washington left the JCPOA in 2018.

Washington’s move came shortly after a US draft resolution on extending the arms embargo on Iran failed to get the required number of votes to be adopted by the UN Security Council.

According to US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, his country was ready to impose sanctions on Russia and Tehran if the US effort to restore anti-Iranian restrictions is hampered. 

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