On June 7, 2020, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a letter on the Iranian nuclear issue to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations Nicolas de Rivière whose country holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council this month, requesting that the letter be circulated as an official document of the Security Council.
In his letter, Wang Yi said, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear issue has already been endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231. It is an important outcome of multilateral diplomacy, and also a key element of the international nuclear non-proliferation system. The US unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and resumption of illegal unilateral sanctions against Iran are in violation of both the JCPOA and the Resolution 2231. We urge the US to abandon unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" that have no basis in international law, get back on the right track in terms of fulfilling the JCPOA and the UN Security Council's resolution, and cooperate with all sides to safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation system, and regional peace and stability in the Middle East.
Wang Yi noted, China firmly safeguards the authority of the Security Council Resolution 2231 and the effectiveness of the JCPOA, and does not agree with the US move to renew the Security Council's arms embargo against Iran. All the provisions of Resolution 2231, including the relevant arrangements for the arms embargo, should be implemented earnestly. As the US has withdrawn from the JCPOA, it is no longer a party to the agreement and has no right to demand the Security Council to activate the rapid reinstatement of sanctions mechanism.
Wang Yi pointed out, well maintaining and implementing the JCPOA is the only correct way out for the Iranian nuclear issue. The pressing task now is to safeguard Iran's economic dividends in a step-by-step and reciprocal approach, and at the same time promote Iran to fully resume its compliance with the JCPOA and restore the balance between its rights and obligations under the JCPOA. China will continue to work with relevant parties and the international community to continue to uphold the JCPOA and the Security Council Resolution 2231, uphold multilateralism and promote the political and diplomatic resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue. Meanwhile, we will resolutely safeguard our legitimate rights and interests.
Iran reached the JCPOA on the Iranian nuclear issue with China, the US, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Union on July 14, 2015. And on July 20, 2015, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted the Resolution 2231, endorsing the JCPOA. However, the US withdrew from the JCPOA in May, 2018. Recently, Iranian Foreign Minister wrote to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stressing that the US has withdrawn from the JCPOA and therefore it no longer has a say in the Security Council Resolution 2231. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sent a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the rotating presidency of the Security Council, accusing the US of escalating tensions over the Iranian nuclear issue, undermining the JCPOA and the Security Council Resolution 2231. The United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Union issued a joint statement, stressing to continue to uphold the JCPOA.