Principal Findings

What’s new? A U.S. resolution seeking to extend UN arms restrictions on Iran

beyond their October 2020 expiration failed at the Security Council. Washington

has asserted that it will claim the right to unilaterally restore UN sanctions,

which were terminated as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Why does it matter? Any U.S. attempt to reimpose sanctions will be controversial,

given the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear

deal, and likely to create deadlock at the Security Council. The administration’s

goal is clear: kill the deal or make it that much harder for a successor administration

to rejoin it.

What should be done? The remaining parties to the deal should be united in

resisting Washington’s efforts, as should other Security Council members. They

should essentially disregard a U.S. “snapback” – restoring sanctions – as ineffectual,

obstruct attempts to implement it and discourage Iran from overreacting

to what will end up being a symbolic U.S. move.