Raisi and the Boast of Lifting Missile Sanctions with Zarif’s Ticket
Raisi and the Boast of Lifting Missile Sanctions with Zarif’s Ticket: Raisi’s government is trying to use the end of the UN Security Council’s missile sanctions as an achievement for itself in the media, but the point is that this event has nothing to do with Raisi’s government or the performance of the Foreign Ministry under Amir-Abdollahian. It is merely one of the vital benefits of the 2014 JCPOA for Iran’s national interests.
In the past week, the UN Security Council Secretariat announced the official end of missile sanctions, export and import restrictions on missile items to Iran, and some other clauses of Resolution 2231. The Ebrahim Raisi government has portrayed this event as a significant achievement for the thirteenth government with extensive media coverage. However, the point is that this achievement is actually credited to the JCPOA and the performance of Hassan Rouhani’s government and has no relation to Raisi’s government.
However, the disastrous performance of Raisi’s government in diplomacy has led the UN Security Council to reveal its intention to extend these sanctions. This is while, according to the JCPOA provisions, the lifting of missile sanctions in 2023 was one of several steps aimed at normalizing Iran’s presence in the global military arms market. But the passive and extremely weak approach of Ebrahim Raisi’s government in the JCPOA revival negotiations has brought the situation to a point where the UN Security Council now intends to extend the missile sanctions.
What is the story of lifting missile sanctions?
Last week, the UN Security Council Secretariat informed UN members of the end of the provisions of clauses 3, 4, and 6 of Annex B of Resolution 2231. These clauses included sanctions related to missile tests, export, and import restrictions on missile equipment to the Islamic Republic. Some other issues were also included, such as sanctions related to asset freezes and the provision of financial services to Iranian individuals and entities under Security Council sanctions.
According to the UN Security Council, this decision was made in line with the implementation of the 2014 JCPOA agreement. In fact, Rouhani’s government, with Javad Zarif’s management in JCPOA negotiations with Western parties, had agreed that in 2023 all missile sanctions against the Islamic Republic would be lifted. However, unfortunately, Donald Trump’s obstructions and then the thirteenth government under Ebrahim Raisi’s presidency have led to a situation where the European Union Council has announced its intention to maintain these sanctions.
In simpler terms, if the JCPOA were implemented, Iran could, from October 18, 2023, operate without any restrictions in buying or selling drones and ballistic missiles in the global military arms market. On the other hand, one of Iran’s most contentious activities, which is the production of ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, would also be considered permissible from the mentioned date, and Iran could expand its missile industry without restrictions.
Sanctions Remain in Place
As mentioned, following the JCPOA agreement, the period for implementing clauses 3, 4, and 6 of Annex B of Resolution 2231, related to missile sanctions, has ended. However, the weak and disastrous presence of Ebrahim Raisi’s government in nuclear negotiations has led to a situation where the Security Council, emphasizing the Islamic Republic’s non-compliance with its commitments, insists on the necessity of extending the implementation period of the mentioned clauses in Resolution 2231.
On the other hand, the European Council recently issued a statement saying that European Union member states will maintain the previous UN missile sanctions against the Islamic Republic. This is while, according to the JCPOA agreement, all missile sanctions against Iran should have ended on October 18, 2023. However, the non-compliance of Ebrahim Raisi’s government with the Islamic Republic’s commitments, especially in terms of the IAEA’s oversight of Iran’s nuclear activities and the increase in enrichment levels, has led the Security Council to determine to extend these sanctions.
In this context, the European Troika recently announced that due to what they called the continued non-compliance of the Islamic Republic of Iran with its nuclear agreement commitments, they intend to extend UN sanctions against Iran. There are even reports of Russian and Chinese agreement with this European Troika decision, which seems to make the extension of the mentioned sanctions certain. Even if Moscow and Beijing oppose this decision, it will not significantly impact the process of reinstating missile sanctions, and Iran’s missile industry will once again be subject to Security Council sanctions.
Raisi Didn’t Score Even in an Open Goal
This decision is made in a situation where Hassan Rouhani’s government, after the United States’ withdrawal from the JCPOA, implemented necessary measures according to its rights under Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA. Interestingly, the European Troika, considering the unilateral violation of the JCPOA by Trump’s government, sided with Zarif and emphasized the legitimacy of Iran’s position. But now, after three years, what has happened, apart from the rise to power of Raisi’s government, that the Europeans have chosen a completely different stance from the past?
In other words, it can be said that Ebrahim Raisi’s government not only cannot boast about lifting sanctions that have expired according to the JCPOA agreement but now must answer for its performance, which has caused the Europeans’ previously sympathetic stance on the JCPOA and missile sanctions to turn into such a hostile position, contrary to Iran’s interests.