Alwaght- Iran's military advances over the past decade have been so fast-moving that even the Western countries that not so long ago downplayed and dismissed Iran's military strength are now admitting to efficiency of Iranian arms and Tehran's capability to manufacture modern weapons in a bid to paint the Islamic Republic a threat and block its path to the global arms market.
On July 6, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a session on Iran, with the Britain-led Western countries leading a motion to pass a resolution about unfounded claims about Russia's extensive use of Iranian weapons in Ukraine war. The move was aimed at accusing Iran of violating 2231 resolution to build pressures on Tehran.
The attention-grabbing move by the Westerners was the targeted invitation of Ukraine envoy so that in a session essentially irrelevant to Ukraine crisis they could link the fate of 2231 resolution about Iran's nuclear program, and particularly lifting of arms sanctions, to the Russian-Western tensions.
Indeed, this is not the first time that this issue is happening, and in the previous UNSC meeting in December 2022 on the resolution 2231, the American envoy Robert Wood made several accusations, including the unproven claim of sending ammunition and weapons from Iranian ports to Yemen, as well as the unsubstantiated claim of Russia using Iranian-provided to attack Ukraine’s civil infrastructure, arguing that these were in violation of the resolution.
What does 2231 resolution say?
In 2015, the UNSC passed 2231 resolution, which approved the nuclear deal that officially named Joint Compliance Plan of Action (JCPOA), to lift all sanctions against Tehran in exchange for confidence-building steps by Iran for a specified period of time.
Although 2231 resolution lifted sanctions imposed under previous Security Council resolutions, it requested the continuation of some restrictions related to what Westerners call military aspects of nuclear activities. These terms of the resolution are what Western countries seek to exploit to run a propaganda against conventional Iranian military activities, especially in missile and drone sectors.
However, a look at these terms proves the West’s allegations are unjustified and baseless.
The article 3 of the resolution says: “Iran is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology, until the date eight years after the JCPOA Adoption Day or until the date on which the IAEA submits a report confirming the Broader Conclusion, whichever is earlier.”
As it is glaringly apparent, the resolution restriction applies to ballistic missiles specifically designed to deliver nuclear warheads. This is while Iranian missiles are essentially not designed to be nuclear-capable and are rated as conventional weapons.
Another part of the Western claims about violation of the resolution is related to Iran's arms trade with other countries. Aside from failing to provide authentic documents to prove their claims about Tehran's role in Ukraine war or smuggling arms to other countries and only focusing on media propaganda, according to the 2231 resolution, Iran's sanctions were lifted on October 18, 2020, and Iran can legally and according to the international laws engage in arms trade and therefore the Western countries have no right to link Iran's arms trade with other countries, including Russia, to the 2231 resolution.
Article 5 of the resolution says: “All States may participate in and permit, provided that the Security Council decides in advance on a case-by-case basis to approve: the supply, sale or transfer directly or indirectly from or through their territories, or by their nationals or individuals subject to their jurisdiction, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, and whether or not originating in their territories, to Iran, or for the use in or benefit of Iran, of any battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles or missile systems, as defined for the purpose of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, or related materiel, including spare parts, and the provision to Iran by their nationals or from or through their territories of technical training, financial resources or services, advice, other services or assistance related to the supply, sale, transfer, manufacture, maintenance, or use of arms and related materiel described in this subparagraph.”
The article continues that supervision in question will be adopted five years after JCPOA adoption day.
“This paragraph shall apply until the date five years after the JCPOA Adoption Day or until the date on which the IAEA submits a report confirming the Broader Conclusion, whichever is earlier.”
A few months before the expiration date of the 5-year arms embargo, the US government bent over the backwards to block Iran's arms embargo end, but it failed and the sanctions were automatically lifted. A similar situation has arisen now, and according to 2231 resolution, the remaining sanctions that target 23 individuals and 61 Iranian entities listed in this resolution will expire on October 18. With regard to these moves, it is quite obvious that the West has again resorted to propaganda against Iran's missile and drone program as sanctions lifting is nearing.
Iran has upper hand thanks to allies’ support
The last week UNSC session marked a diplomatic victory for Tehran in nuclear case and a big defeat for the Western countries that are seeking to present a reversed reality about their treachery concerning their commitments and force Iran back from its logical stances in the JCPOA revival talks.
From Iranian viewpoint, the West, especially the US, must first take confidence-building steps by unconditionally lifting all sanctions and compensating for the damages caused to Iran's economy during the illegal sanctions era in order to make up for mistake of unilaterally withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear agreement, and they should not talk from the position of a claimant in the nuclear talks.
Meanwhile, Russian and Chinese support and the UN report demanding lifting all the US sanctions and extending oil waivers vindicate rightfullness of Iran's insistence in its positions.
Russian envoy objected to the “irrelevant” invitation of Ukrainian envoy to the session, asserting that Washington should be held responsible for undermining the nuclear deal. He further accused the US of pushing to prove its allegations about weapons provision to Russia, arguing that the West is directly and intentionally responsible for undermining JCPOA revival negotiations.
China, another country with the veto right, took similar stances and called on the US to lift all of unilateral sanctions against Iran. The Chinese envoy called for the US to stop its threat of use of force and make ground for full revival of the nuclear deal.
Without any doubt, Iran's diplomatic victory in the UNSC session and failure of the Western scenario with invitation of Ukraine will give Iran a stronger position in the nuclear deal revival talks and also take the steam out of the US power to obstruct automatic lifting of the remaining UNSC sanctions on Iran on October 24.
