The Trump Administration’s push to make the UN reimpose sanctions on Iran and extend an arms embargo failed miserably, but officials say that the US intends to enforce the restrictions as though they were actual international law, as opposed to merely what the US wants.
The arms embargo expires in October, and Iran expects to buy some defensive items from Russia. During the embargo, Iran was trying to make all its own arms in-house, but some equipment would be more affordable to outsource.
Elliott Abrams, the US special envoy for Iran sanctions, suggested the US would use “full force” sanctions to try to enforce their policies. This would include threatening sanctions on foreign armsmakers that do business with Iran. He particularly threatened Russian and Chinese companies.
Russian and Chinese companies would be encouraged to make deals with Iran as part of the P5+1 nuclear deal’s sanctions relief, and would be able to rely on domestic banks to finance the deals, something most of the world would struggle with.
It makes sense that they’d face US threats ahead of time, but since almost none of those companies do any business with the US in the first place, losing access to the US markets is probably not nearly as big of a deal.
The real issue for Iran is what Russia or China would be prepared to sell, not US sanctions.
Yeah good luck trying to stop China and Russia from selling weapons to Iran.
They were the only ones who ever would have.
The sanctions are aimed at keeping the EU out of Iran. Isolating China and Russia would be a side benefit. It is longer term economic warfare. It is also likely to lose, and to rebound badly back against the US as it hits the dominance of the dollar and the US control of banking.
If the US defies the UN and international law in this way, it would not be the first time. However, repeated illegality must eventually have consequences. The rest of the world will be driven to protect itself.
I would have though so too, Mark, but habit, momentum, and outright US penetration of relevant foreign governments and media can’t be underestimated. I thought there’d be a serious response to the nuke deal break, to Nordstream interference, to many things, but there has not. Is there a straw that will break the camels back here?
If the US . . . what? How about Syria, where EVERYDAY is a gigantic war crime with the USA just having soldiers there where they are not wanted or legally entitled to be! The USA IS an international crime personified!
How the three satraps behave after October is what would be interesting. I expect that any talk of sovereignty will not be heard for a long time as they fall behind the US.
The collapse of UN is near because of US lawlessness…!
The rest of the world needs to BDS the US, pronto!
Pompeo knows that he may have less than 5 months left to overthrow the government of Iran. If Biden is elected his most precious foreign project will go down in flames never to be resurrected again. He must act soon and act aggressively. We may see an increased “arrest” of Iranian and ships of other nations which serve Iran after September 30. It could become close to or it could become a real war. Is Trump on board?
Elliott Abrams, the US special envoy for Iran sanctions…
It’s still shocking to me every time i read this criminal’s name and realize that he is part of this administration and not in jail where he belongs.