TEHRAN – Mahmoud Vaezi, the Iranian president's chief of staff, says the U.S. efforts to reimpose international restrictions on Iran have once again failed and that the rightfulness of Iran’s position has been reiterated again.

“The continued and illegal efforts of the U.S. have once again ended in failure and that the rightfulness of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s position in the international arena was once again highlighted,” Vaezi said in an interview with the state-run Iran newspaper published on Monday.

In a bid to extend a UN arms embargo on Iran, the U.S. announced the return of all previously lifted UN sanctions on Iran including the UN arms embargo. The U.S. measure faced global backlash as it was widely rejected as illegal and void.

“Today, the United States welcomes the return of virtually all previously terminated UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran…. Sanctions are being re-imposed on Iran pursuant to the snapback process under UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 2231,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Saturday.

All parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – dismissed the U.S. measure as an illegal move. The European signatories to the JCPOA said the U.S. measure was “incapable of having legal effect.” Russia and China also opposed the return of international sanctions on Iran.

On Monday, President Hassan Rouhani said during the past month, the U.S. suffered many defeats and Iran secured many victories in return.

“With the U.S. suffering a definite defeat at the UN Security Council, September 20 will go down as a memorable day in the diplomatic history of our country,” Rouhani said at a cabinet meeting.

Vaezi said “these victories” were achieved due to Iran’s “principled political and legal” moves after the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, far from any haste and with a firm legal logic, managed the developments in such a way that the United States is isolated today and has no supporters except a few small countries and the Zionist regime,” the Iranian president's chief of staff boasted.

He also said the diplomatic efforts of Iran have revealed the true colors of the United States, which was disguised as a supporter of democracy and international law for years. Vaezi pointed out that today the world sees how the U.S., without any logic and through sheer bullying, seeks to dictate their will on others.

Vaezi called on all political factions in the country to show unity in the face of “U.S.’s plots.”

“In these tough circumstances, in order to foil the U.S. plots, unity, solidarity, and coherence among government’s branches and institutions are needed more than ever,” Vaezi said.

SM/PA