US resort to snapback is out of ‘frustration’: ex-diplomat

TEHRAN, (MNA) – A former Iranian diplomat notes that the US resort to JCPOA provisions is due to their frustration and doomed to failure.

Hamidreza Asefi, a former spokesman with the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said that the United States’ efforts in the UN Security Council to restore international sanctions against Iran is because of Washington’s ‘frustration’.

“They are aware that they will not gain the required votes as they suffered a heavy defeat in recent weeks in the UN Security Council when no member other than the Dominican Republic supported the White House’s bid,” he added while speaking to an IRIB program on Sunday, referring to the rejection of the US bid to extend arms embargo against Iran which is due to expire in October.

“They knew then that a defeat is awaiting them because their lobbies were active and their information was precise but because of the self-made crisis and quagmire, they are sinking deeper by the day and consistently concede humiliating defeats.”

The remarks come as the Trump administration has sent a letter to the UN Security Council on Thursday, requesting the activation of the snapback mechanism in the JCPOA to restore UN resolutions and sanctions against Iran.

All the other signatories to the deal have said that Washington has no right to do so as the mechanism is exclusively for ‘JCPOA participants’ and that the US has officially ‘ceased participation’ in the deal.