Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11
By Khalid Kazimov -- Trend:
Iran can violate parts of United Nations Resolution 2231 without having to worry over the sanctions snapback, an Iranian diplomat has said.
Article 12 of the resolution states that if the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is violated by Iran, then the sanctions will snap back, but it says nothing about what happens if the resolution itself is violated, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said during a meeting with the Iranian Parliament's Special Committee on JCPOA, Tasnim news agency reported Sept. 11.
The Special Committee on JCPOA is studying the deal in order to issue a final decision over it before the Iranian government can implement the deal.
"Violating the resolution is not tantamount to violating the JCPOA. If we violate the arms restrictions we would have violated the resolution, not the JCPOA. So, no one would be able to urge a return of the sanctions," said Araqchi in answer to concerns by lawmakers over the restrictions put on Iran's military program by the resolution.
Resolution 2231, signed after Iran's nuclear deal, states that Iran would be limited in selling or purchasing weapons and military equipment for a period of five years.
The JCPOA was struck between Iran and the six powers on July 14. It limits Iran's nuclear program in return for lifting economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Araqchi, who was a member of the Iranian negotiation team during Tehran's nuclear talks with the group P5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany), pointed out that nowhere in the JCPOA is there anything indicating restrictions on the Iranian military program.
The arms restrictions are imposed by the resolution, and if they are violated, it is the UN Security Council that would have to decide what to do, which has nothing to do with the JCPOA and the snapback, he stated.
To assure the lawmakers that the UN Security Council will not be able to take any particular action against Iran if the country violates the resolution, Araqchi pointed out that in past years the body has not had the power to pose any restriction on Iran despite the fact that Iran used to give arms to certain countries in violation of international restrictions, but met no counteraction from the Security Council.
What is important to Iran is the removal of the sanctions
In another part of his speech, Araqchi said the important thing for Iran is that the sanctions are removed.
"We were doing our job. We had created 19,000 centrifuges that we could turn into 50,000 or even 60,000. There was no problem. We were doing the 20-percent enrichment and pursuing our R&D program.... The fact that we sat for talks and gave privileges was to lift the sanctions. If sanctions are not lifted then there will be no deal. It will be meaningless," he said.
No binding legislation by Parliament
Elsewhere in the meeting, the diplomat pointed to the Foreign Ministry's concern whether the Parliament is going to pass a law to bind the government to implement or reject the JCPOA.
"I don't know if you intend to pass a law or do anything else. The decision is yours.... But, the Foreign Ministry's technical opinion is that the other members to the deal have not bound their governments to doing anything, that is, they have not turned the deal into a law at home. We recommend that the Parliament acts in the same manner," he said.
In answer to Araqchi, MP Alireza Zakani said that any decision to be adopted by the Parliament would lack legal binding.
"According to Article 173... we would only allow the government to become or not to become party to a certain contract. Therefore, we are not talking about passing something or things like that. That will have to do with the Legal Committee," he underlined.
Edited by CN