Following the U.N. Security Council failing to extend the U.N. arms embargo on Iran last week, the United States is expected to activate the mechanism to reimpose snapback sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to travel to New York on Thursday to notify the U.N. Security Council that the United States is invoking snapback.
On Friday, the U.S.-led resolution to extend the U.N. arms embargo on Iran was rejected in the Security Council with a tally of two in favor, two against and 11 abstentions.
As expected, China and Russia, who, like the United States, have a permanent veto on the Security Council, vetoed the measure.
The snapback mechanism is included under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which the United States withdrew from in May 2018, reimposing sanctions lifted under it and enacting new penalties against the regime. Enacting snapback sanctions would include extending the arms embargo indefinitely.
In accordance with the 2015 agreement, the United States will need to inform the Security Council a month earlier if it intends to enact snapback.
Following the rejection of the resolution to extend the arms embargo, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed that the United States would enact snapback sanctions.
