The United States publicly threatened yesterday to activate a return to imposing all United Nations sanctions on Iran under the nuclear agreement if the UN Security Council does not extend an arms embargo, which is due to expire next October.

In 2018, US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal concluded under former Democratic President Barack Obama, calling it the worst deal ever. But Washington says it can activate UN sanctions because a 2015 Security Council resolution that supports the deal still defines the United States as a party.

The US special envoy to Iran, Brian Hook, confirmed this strategy two weeks after a US official - who spoke on condition of anonymity - said that the United States had informed Britain, France and Germany of its plan.

One way or another
, Hook wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Washington would ensure "in one way or another" the continued arms embargo, adding that the United States had prepared a draft Security Council resolution "and would go ahead with diplomacy and rally support."

The decision requires the approval of nine members without the use of any veto (Russia, China, the United States, Britain and France) the veto, and Russia has already indicated its opposition to the extension of the arms embargo.

Hook said that if any US diplomatic veto fails, the United States reserves the right to extend the arms embargo by other means, indicating the ability of any party to the nuclear agreement to activate the so-called immediate return of all UN sanctions against Iran, which include the arms embargo.

Iran obtained sanctions exemption under the 2015 agreement with the United States, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which prevents Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, and the agreement also allowed a return to sanctions if Iran violated it.

Silly statements
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia described Hooke's statements as ridiculous, saying that they are not a party to activating the sanctions.

Diplomats say the United States will likely face a chaotic battle if it tries to activate the return of sanctions. It is not yet clear how a member of the Security Council could stop such a move.

Iran has violated several restrictions in the agreement, including a restriction on the stock of enriched uranium, in response to Washington's withdrawal from the agreement and its reimposition of sanctions that reduced Iran's oil exports.

Britain, France and Germany are trying to save the agreement, but have made little progress.