TEHRAN - Mohammad Keshavarzzadeh, Iran’s ambassador to China, has welcomed China’s opposition to the U.S. push to restore international sanctions on Iran through a contested mechanism built into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“China's principled stances on international issues, including JCPOA and countering U.S. unilateralism, reflect the commitment and responsibility of a strong country that, unlike the United States, does not abuse its power to violate international law and regulations. The United States has never been so isolated in UNSC,” the ambassador tweeted on Saturday.

On Thursday, the U.S. submitted a notification to the UN Security Council calling for a return of all UN sanctions on Iran in a bid to extend a UN arms embargo on the country. The U.S. claimed it still had the legal authority to trigger a snapback of UN sanctions on Iran even though it terminated its participation in the nuclear deal on May 8, 2018.

China along with other countries on the Security Council strongly opposed the U.S. measure, saying the U.S. request lacks legal standing.

“The US demand has no legal ground and common sense. It is nothing but a political show staged by the United States. It receives no support of the Security Council members and no acknowledgment of the international community…. Having quit the JCPOA, the United States is no longer a participant to the JCPOA and has no right to demand the Security Council invoke a snapback as stipulated in Resolution 2231,” China’s mission to the UN said in a statement following the U.S. measure.