Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday that the United States’ threats to raise the question of restoring all previously lifted sanctions against Iran may lead to a serious crisis within the UN Security Council.

“I think it’s outrageous that the U.S. administration now tries to freely pick and choose what serves its interests in complete rejection of the views of the others and even in complete rejection of common sense, trying to defeat JCPOA,” TASS quoted Ryabkov as saying during a videoconference of the New York Council on Foreign Relations.

“If this will happen the way as you suggest and, as many think-tankers, many op-ed writers, just people knowledgeable of this believe, would happen, then we will inevitably end in a severe crisis situation at the Security Council,” the Russian diplomat continued. “And it would be a huge blow to the sovereignty of the Security Council, and the U.S. will bear responsibility for this.”

He said Washington withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program, which envisages the mechanism of triggering the ‘snapback’ sanctions, “subsequently approved by the UN Security Council resolution.”

His comments were made in response to U.S. officials’ words, who said that Washington would seek to restore all previously canceled sanctions against Iran if the UN Security Council fails to preserve the embargo on weapons supplies to Tehran, which expires this fall.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the United States’ attempts to impose a permanent arms embargo against Iran “ridiculous” and “irresponsible”.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council circulated Monday, Lavrov accused the Trump administration of unleashing a politically motivated campaign against Iran and called for “universal condemnation” of the U.S. attempts, AP reported.

NA/PA