U.S. officials, adding Pompeo, said that the U.S. non-extension would likely have a good reputation across the United States, and mentioned the so-called procurement procedure that would re-impose all UN sanctions lifted through the nuclear deal. The other players argued that the United States no longer has the status to invoke snapback since it withdrew from the deal, but Washington argues that it retains that right as an initial player and permanent member of the Security Council, which approved the agreement.
Pompeo would not ask if the United States would attempt to invoke snapback if the solution failed. “We look forward to success. When we look at the results, we’ll take the resolution on how to move forward,” he said.
First, the United States circulated a solution to the 15-member council to extend indefinitely the seven-page, 35-paragraph arms embargo. This week, after discussions with Council members who objected to a number of provisions, he issued a revised draft that reduced the solution to only 4 paragraphs calling for indefinite extension.
Foreign ministers from Russia and China, in separate letters last month to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council, harshly criticized america’s efforts to enlarge the arms embargo indefinitely. They indicated that they would veto that solution if necessary.
Diplomats from several countries still committed to the nuclear deal expressed great fear that the extension of the arms embargo will lead Iran to abandon the agreement and accelerate its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Trump again imposed crippling sanctions opposing Iran after unilaterally alienating the United States from the iran-Western power nuclear deal in May 2018. Iran then responded by slowly abandoning almost every facet of the agreement, still allowing UN inspectors to access their nuclear sites. The sanctions have led to a sharp decline in Iran’s oil exports, the country’s main source of income.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has accused the United States of “economic terrorism.”
Pompeo, before his talks with Grossi, met with senior Austrian officials, adding Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, to discuss European energy independence, the security of 5G wireless networks and the threats posed through Russia and China.
The United States and Austria, like other European countries, adding Germany, disagree on many issues, adding the structure of a Russia-Germany pipeline known as NordStream 2, which the Trump administration says poses a security risk to the United States. and their allies in Europe because it will make them dangerously indebted to Moscow for energy.
Trump’s management has imposed sanctions and threatened with more sanctions added to European companies and affected countries on the nearly completed bill. Schallenberg said Austria “deeply regrets” the imposition of US sanctions on the pipeline, and Pompeo declared a deep war of words on the issue, saying that the two countries would possibly have to “agree not to agree.”
Pompeo is in Austria for the third stage of an excursion through 4 Central and Eastern European countries that has already taken him to the Czech Republic and Slovenia. It will close to Poland on Saturday.