TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has lambasted the United States for its unlawful move against Iran, saying such bullying has left U.S. isolated again.

“@SecPompeo’s lawless bullying leaves US isolated again,” Zarif tweeted on Tuesday, referring to Washington’s failure at the UN Security Council to trigger the return of UN sanctions on Iran.

“While US prevented a Sec. Council debate about its unlawful notification on Friday, members in today's meeting on ME refuted U.S.’ attempt as null and void,” he wrote.

“Time for @realDonaldTrump to stop listening to novice bullies,” he added.

The remarks came after the president of the UN Security Council, Indonesia, announced that it was “not in the position to take further action” on a U.S. bid to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran because there is no consensus in the 15-member body.

Indonesia’s Ambassador to the UN Dian Triansyah Djani, council president for August, was responding to a question from Russia and China on the issue during a meeting on the Middle East.

On Friday, thirteen council members out of the fifteen-member body expressed their opposition to return of UN sanctions, arguing that Washington’s move is void given it is using a process agreed under a 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers that it withdrew from two years ago.

U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft hit back after Djani spoke.

“Let me just make it really, really clear: the Trump administration has no fear in standing in limited company on this matter. I only regret that other members of this council have lost their way and now find themselves standing in the company of terrorists,” she dictated to the council.

Iran’s permanent mission to the UN said in a statement that Washington’s objective is to destroy UNSC Resolution 2231 and the nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Today, the overwhelming majority of the Security Council members rejected once again the admissibility of the recent letter by the United States to purportedly initiate a process to re-impose Security Council sanctions on Iran,” the mission said, according to IRNA.

According to the statement, the UN Security Council members have made it clear that the U.S., following its withdrawal from the JCPOA, is not a “JCPOA participant” anymore and as such has no right to trigger a process to re-impose Security Council sanctions on Iran as this right has been reserved only for “the JCPOA participant states”.

The mission said Iran’s position on the U.S. attempt is also quite clear. “That letter, including all references therein, are null and void, have no legal standing and effect and are thus completely inadmissible.”

“Today’s deliberations in the Security Council showed once more the U.S. isolation on the JCPOA and Resolution 2231,” it added.

The mission responded to Washington’s “unfounded accusations” against Iran at the meeting, underlining that almost all problems in West Asia stem from the continued occupation of Palestine by the Israeli regime and its expansionist policies supported by the U.S., as well as “the meddling, destabilizing policies and destructive practices of the United States, which cannot be covered up by no amount of smear campaign.”

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he triggered a 30-day process to reimpose all international sanctions on Iran by lodging a complaint with the council accusing Iran of breaching the 2015 nuclear deal.

It came after the Security Council resoundingly rejected a U.S. bid on August 14 to extend an arms embargo on Iran which will otherwise expire in October. Only the Dominican Republic joined Washington in voting yes.

Observers say the Dominican Republic and Niger, president of the council for September, are likely to face U.S. pressure to proceed with the sanctions snapback process.

Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said at the Tuesday meeting he hoped the U.S. would now drop its bid to snapback Iran sanctions.

He said the move to reimpose sanctions on Iran is not only illegal, but simply will not lead to achieving the result that was envisaged by Washington.

MH/PA