Iran Strongly Rejects Extension of UNSC Resolution Provisional Implementation

(FNA)- Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi rejected the allegations that the 10-year-long period stipulated in the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 for the provisional implementation of the Iran-powers Vienna nuclear agreement has been extended for 5 more years.

Araqchi made the remarks after Senior US Under-Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and its European allies called for a 5-year extension of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

Araqchi told reporters in a press conference in Tehran on Wednesday that "the period for the Security Council's studies is 10 years as explicitly stated in the Resolution (2231)".

He said the terms and contents stipulated in both the UNSC resolution and the Vienna agreement are fully clear and expressive where they speak of their duration and validity period, and all sides should remain committed to these terms.

The Iranian deputy chief negotiator further pointed out that the Vienna agreement and the Iran-IAEA cooperation roadmap are two separate issues, and urged that the different phases of the Vienna agreement will go into effect independent of the report to be issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran's past nuclear activities.

"The points that have been mentioned in the Resolution, but not in the agreement are not binding and hence, violating the Resolution would not lead to the rei-mposition of the sanctions."

He said that all economic and financial sanctions will be fully terminated on the very first day that the Vienna agreement is put into practice.

Araqchi compared the arms embargos imposed on Iran under the previous UNSC sanctions and the new restrictions that have replaced them in Resolution 2231, and said this means a replacement of arms and missile bans against Iran with temporary demands and restrictions on just missiles with nuclear warhead capability.

"The Security Council which once assumed Iran as a threat to the global peace and security based on the past resolutions, does no more consider Iran's nuclear program as a threat under the new Resolution and even recognizes Iran's enrichment and annuls the sanctions," Araqchi underscored.

"And in addition to endorsing Iran's enrichment, the Security Council also urges other countries to help Iran," he added.

Elsewhere, Araqchi also said that Iran will not spare any efforts to help its allies.

Iran and the six world powers struck a final agreement in Vienna on July 14 to end a 13-year-old nuclear standoff.

The UNSC on Monday unanimously endorsed a draft resolution turning into international law the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached between Iran and the 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) group of countries over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

All 15 members of the UNSC voted for the draft UN resolution in New York, setting the stage for the lifting of Security Council sanctions against Iran.

The text of the draft UN resolution calls for the “full implementation” of the Vienna agreement “on the timetable established,” and urges UN member countries to facilitate the process.