Russia has stated that once the limits set by the United Nations Security Council on delivering missile technology to Iran expire on Wednesday, it will no longer be required to adhere to those restrictions. However, Russia has not specified whether or not it intends to back Iran’s missile programme.
In a release, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the United Nations Security Council’s previous consent is no longer required for “supply to and from Iran of products subject to missile technology control.”
Resolution 2231 of 2015, which ratified the nuclear deal, authorised these limits. As part of the nuclear deal, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, the European Union, France, and Germany agreed to relax sanctions against Iran in exchange for Iran agreeing to limit its nuclear programme.
In 2018, the then-current President of the United States, Donald Trump, withdrew the country from the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and kept unilateral American sanctions in place. Following that, Iran accelerated its nuclear programme while insisting it was only for peaceful reasons the entire time.
As a result of the failure of the accord, the United Nations has reinstated sanctions against Iran. These penalties are designed to stop Iran from manufacturing long-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. On the other hand, these restraints are scheduled to be lifted on Wednesday.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, relations between the two countries have become closer. Iran was thought to be responsible for producing many of the hundreds of attack drones that Russia deployed to strike Ukraine the previous year.
On Tuesday, the European Union made public its intention to join the United States in maintaining sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile programme following the expiration of the restrictions imposed by the United Nations.
Russia has requested that the United governments and the European Union release their sanctions against Iran, stating that the penalties are an “effort to settle political scores with Tehran” and that they have no effect on “other governments dealing with international law and their obligations to respect it.” Russia’s request comes after Russia has encouraged the United States and the European Union to lift their sanctions against Iran.
