Iranian FM accuses Pompeo of ‘lawless bullying’ as UNSC president dismisses US push for sanctions ‘snapback’

US efforts to trigger the return of UN sanctions on Iran have been dismissed by the president of the Security Council amid a lack of consensus among the body’s 15 members. Iran's foreign minister said it shows the US is isolated.

Speaking during a council meeting on the Middle East on Tuesday, the current president - Indonesia’s UN ambassador - responded to questions from Russia and China on the Iran sanctions issue to say that the body is “not in the position to take further action” on the ‘snap back’ request.

Responding to the council president’s comments on Tuesday, US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft said that “the Trump administration has no fear in standing in limited company on this matter." 

"I only regret that other members of this council have lost their way and now find themselves standing in the company of terrorists," she added. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted a link to a Reuters story about the UNSC president’s remark, writing “Pompeo’s lawless bullying leaves [the] US isolated again,” before adding that it was time for US President Donald Trump to “stop listening to novice bullies.”

The majority of UNSC members voiced their opposition to the reintroduction of sanctions last week after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo formally requested the move, with the US claiming that Tehran violated the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany - who are all signatories to the Iran nuclear deal - responded by saying that they did not recognize the move given that the US had withdrawn from the agreement.

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