The American Foreign Policy magazine has obtained a draft resolution that the United States intends to put forward next week in the UN Security Council to extend the arms embargo on Iran, which is expected to expire in October.
The draft resolution aims to impose comprehensive legal obligations on countries to prevent, sell and export weapons to Iran, impose a strict inspection regime on ships transporting Iranian goods, and impose sanctions on individuals and entities including the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The American text - which was also seen by the French Press Agency - calls for the ban to be extended for an indefinite period.
Diplomats expected Washington to formally present the resolution next Monday to the Security Council, and to vote on it on Tuesday.
Expectations indicate that the draft resolution does not enjoy sufficient support within the Security Council from European countries, as well as Russia and China threatening to use the right of veto to block it.
The European allies of the United States - who also signed with Russia and China the agreement - confirmed that they support the extension of the embargo, but their priority is to maintain the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action."
Some European parties believe that the draft resolution will undermine the terms of the Iran nuclear agreement concluded in 2015, while Tehran asserts that the extension of the ban will mean the end of the agreement.
US insistence
The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last Wednesday that the United States would provide this text despite strong opposition from China and Russia.
Under the agreement, which was negotiated by former US President Barack Obama, Iran agreed to reduce its nuclear activities in return for easing sanctions in particular.
In May 2018, US President Donald Trump announced his country's withdrawal from the agreement and the imposition of unilateral sanctions on Iran as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign.
Since then, Tehran has taken limited but increasing measures to ease its commitment to the agreement, while calling for sanctions relief.
The United States has threatened to make all efforts to re-impose sanctions on Iran if the embargo is not extended, by using a controversial mechanism to automatically re-impose sanctions in the event that Tehran violates its obligations contained in the "Snap-Back" agreement.
Pompeo presented this argument, which met opposition, and said that the United States is still "participating" in the nuclear deal, so it can impose re-sanctions if it notices violations by Tehran of its obligations.