Once again, the Trump administration has targeted the rules-based international order with unilateral actions that are contrary to international norms. The Trump administration has unilaterally announced that all UN Security Council resolutions against Iran, waived after the signing of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), have been reimposed.  

All other UN Security Council members including Canada’s European allies (UK, France and Germany) have spoken against this interpretation of the Trump administration and have declared that resolution 2231 is still in effect and international sanctions are not reimposed. 

In the past four years, the Trump administration has demonstrated its disregard for multilateralism and the rules-based order. Trump’s latest actions in the Security Council can not only further exacerbate the tensions with Iran leading to another catastrophic military conflict but also destroy the legitimacy of the United Nations and the Security Council. 

Canada rightly supported the nuclear deal with Iran, lifted its sanctions in compliance with UNSC resolution 2231 and provided assistance to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct inspections that are part of the agreement with Iran. 

Therefore, we call on the Trudeau government to support the efforts of Canada’s European allies to preserve the non-proliferation agreement with Iran and to encourage all parties to engage in diplomatic negotiations to end devastating sanctions on the Iranian people. 

Moreover, Iran is one of the most severely impacted countries with the global pandemic. According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre, as of today over 422 thousand people in the country have been infected with COVID-19 and over 24,300 Iranians have lost their lives. According to credible reports by international organizations and UN investigators, the US sanctions have severely impacted Iran’s ability to fight the pandemic. We call on the Trudeau government to use all diplomatic means and international platforms to ensure that Iranian people can access medicine and medical equipment at this crucial time.