The United States requested the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to reinstate the economic sanctions against Iran. Washington’s bid was defeated. Its only support came from the Dominican Republic. China and Russia rejected the motion and all 11 other members of the Security Council abstained. 

The economic sanctions have crippled the Iranian economy.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo argued for the sanctions’ reinstation on Thursday. President Trump had sent Pompeo to New York in an effort to enforce the “snapback” provision written into the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. 

“The United States intends to restore virtually all of the previously suspended United Nations sanctions on Iran,” President Donald Trump said earlier this week. “It’s a snapback.” — a mechanism built into the Iran nuclear deal.

“The process to re-impose sanctions on Iran begins,” Secretary Pompeo tweeted. “Today I hand-delivered a letter to @UN Security Council President Dian Triansyah Djani to formally notify the Council of something we all know too well — Iran’s failure to meet its commitments under the terrible nuclear deal.” 

The members of the E3, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, have rejected the attempt to initiate the “snapback.” The countries noted that the United States ceased to be a participant of the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018.

“We cannot, therefore, support this action which is incompatible with our current efforts to support the JCPOA,” the E3 released in a statement.

“We call on all UNSC members to refrain from any action that would only deepen divisions in the Security Council or that would have serious adverse consequences on its work,” they added.