WITHOUT any exaggeration, the world is governed by the law of jungle. We say so given the acts of some powerful countries which have routinely been seen imposing their will arbitrarily on less powerful countries, organizations and individuals, in total disregard of any norm and international law.
One saw its manifestation yet again on Saturday when the US unilaterally proclaimed that the UN sanctions against Iran are back in force and promised to punish those who violate them in a move other major countries including its allies said lacked legal basis. The so-called snapback, announced last month, also drew a sharp rebuke from Tehran, which called on the rest of the world to unite against US reckless actions. Indeed this raises a question as to how the US can make such a declaration on behalf of the world body. Of late, Washington has been seen criticizing the role of different UN agencies and now its latest act has proved that the superpower gives no weightage whatsoever to the United Nations. The sanctions in question were lifted in 2015 when Iran signed on to an international agreement not to seek to build nuclear weapons.
President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the landmark accord in 2018, saying the deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama was insufficient. He then renewed and even strengthened Washington’s own sanctions. At the moment, the US is insisting it is still a participant in the agreement that it stormed out of, but only so it can activate the snapback option which it announced on August 20. Virtually every other member of the Security Council disputes Washington’s ability to execute this legal pirouette. Certainly it is an illegitimate act on the part of the US and it has no legal standing to do so. It will be better for the US to respect the UN mandate and refrain from acts that could have serious consequences for international peace and security. It should act with maturity, shun hostility towards Iran and pursue the path of dialogue with the country to amicably sort out the issues.
