President Trump on Wednesday announced that the U.S. intends to “snapback” sanctions on Iran, days after the U.N. Security Council failed to extend a soon-to expire arms embargo on Iran.
“Today I am directing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to notify the U.N. Security Council that the United States intends to restore virtually all the previously suspended United Nations sanctions on Iran,” the president said in a news conference with reporters. “It’s a snapback.”
The snapback mechanism was included as part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and allows an individual deal participant to restore sanctions on Tehran should it deem it to be in violation of the deal.
The U.S. left the Obama-era deal in 2018, but claims to have rights as a participating member under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, which codified the deal.
It comes after the Council rejected a U.S. resolution to extend a thirteen-year-old arms embargo on Iran that was due to expire in October as part of the nuclear deal. Pompeo is scheduled to visit the U.N. on Friday.
