UN sanctions prohibiting Iran from trading missiles and drones expire

In a major development concerning the Iranian regime, a UN embargo prohibiting the Shi’ite country from purchasing and selling missiles and drones expired Wednesday (Oct 18).

Richard Goldberg, who served on the National Security Council during the Trump administration, termed the development a “huge victory for Iran.”

Removal of UN sanctions on Iran’s missile programme "will be a huge victory for Tehran that is simply serving as a reward for terrorism and proliferation around world," he was quoted as saying by Fox News.

How could US retain the sanctions?

According to experts, US had multiple options on its table to ensure sanctions on Iran remain enforced, especially in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.

UN Security Council Resolution 2231 states unequivocally that the US is a partner to the resolution that endorsed the JCPOA. The Trump administration previously cited the resolution in its push to trigger snapback sanctions.

Apart from taking this route, the Biden administration could have asked EU3—made up of the UK, France and Germany—to dispatch a letter to the president of the UNSC.

Now, the Biden administration has come under fire for not doing enough to retain the sanctions.

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"Washington’s silence on the lapse of UN missile prohibitions on Iranian missile testing and transfers is deafening. Iran’s missile proliferation radius keeps expanding, and with the lapse of UN restrictions this October, that will almost certainly grow to include Russia," Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert and senior fellow at FDD, was quoted as saying by Fox News.

EU taking steps at its level

Meanwhile, a statement by the European Union said it was acting to maintain the designations that the UN had imposed initially.

"The Council also agreed to maintain sectoral and individual measures, existing under the EU's sanctions regime, notably those related to Iran nuclear proliferation, as well as arms and missile embargoes," the EU statement read.

Earlier, the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, announced he received a letter from the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and the UK (E3) informing him how the country has been in non-compliance with international law since 2019.
The E3 also blamed Iran for missing the opportunity twice to revive the nuclear agreement last year.

(With inputs from agencies)

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