Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claims US is ready to punish countries that would not comply with the newly-returned sanctions. However, UK and France defied Washington, saying the relief agreed by Iran nuclear deal will remain.
Pompeo announced the unilateral return of virtually all UN sanctions against Iran late on Saturday, hailing the development as "great news for peace in the region".
Virtually all @UN sanctions have returned on Iran, the leading state sponsor of terrorism and anti-Semitism. This includes a permanent extension of the arms embargo. This is great news for peace in the region!
He went on, threatening any nation that refuses to comply with Washington on the matter with "consequences", according to the official statement.
If UN Member States fail to fulfill their obligations to implement these sanctions, the United States is prepared to use our domestic authorities to impose consequences for those failures and ensure that Iran does not reap the benefits of UN-prohibited activity.
Pompeo promised to announce measures against those who defy those "obligations"
However, Washington's NATO allies UK, France and Germany have strongly opposed the move in a letter to the UN Security Council cited by AFP.
Any decision or action taken with a view to re-installing [the sanctions] would be incapable of legal effect.
Hours before Pompeo's announcement, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on the international community to stand against the Trump administration's latest move against Tehran.
The Americans as a rule act as a bully and impose sanctions. The world community should decide how to act towards bullying.
Washington's unilaterally-imposed UN sanctions on Iran are in force starting at 00:00 GMT on Sunday.
Tensions between Iran and the US re-ignited after the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal - also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. The aggreement was aiming at halting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. It was signed by Iran, US, Russia, China, UK, Germany and France.
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