The US accused China and allies Britain and France Friday of "abdicating their duty" as it held firm on its solitary push to maintain an arms embargo and restore broader UN sanctions on Iran.

"We don't need anybody's permission to initiate snapback," Brian Hook, the State Department's Special Representative for Iran, told reporters, referring to the mechanism activated by Washington on Thursday to restore sanctions.

"Iran is in violation of its voluntary nuclear commitments. The conditions have been met to initiate snapback."

Hook said the lack of support from any other members of the UN Security Council for the move was moot, and that they had "failed" a week ago by not extending a soon-to-expire arms embargo on Iran as urged by the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.

"China and Russia and France and the United Kingdom decided to ignore the views of the Gulf Cooperation Council," Hook said.

"These are the countries that are closest to the danger, and the Council had a responsibility to respect their views to extend the arms embargo."

He continued: "It was a very disappointing abdication of duty."

On Thursday Pompeo formally began the process to reimpose sweeping economic and political sanctions on Iran dating back to 2006. They had been had been lifted under the 2015 accord, known as the JCPOA, that aimed to halt Tehran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

The US withdrew from the accord in 2018, but controversially maintains it has the right to force the reimposition of sanctions through the agreement's "snapback" mechanism.

In a major break between longstanding allies, on Thursday France, Britain and Germany rejected use of the snapback, calling it "incompatible with our current efforts to support the JCPOA."

They also warned that the US action could have "serious adverse consequences" on the work of the Security Council.

Pompeo lashed back in unusually harsh language, accusing the three allies of "siding with the ayatollahs."

The Europeans reject the idea that they are on Iran's side and are concerned about the end of the arms embargo, but maintain that the priority is keeping the JCPOA in place.

Hook said whatever the comments from other countries, the mechanism had been activated, and could not be blocked.

"The Security Council at the end of 30 days is going to have all of the UN sanctions restored," he said.

"Whether people support or oppose what we are doing is not material."

Meanwhile Pompeo warned other countries that the US would not allow arms to be shipped to Iran after the expiration of the embargo on October 18.

"I assure you the United States will use every tool in its arsenal to make sure that the Chinese and the Russians are incapable of delivering weapon systems to Iran that threaten us," he told Fox News.

Joint commission on Iran nuclear deal to meet Sept 1
Brussels (AFP) Aug 21, 2020 - The joint commission on the Iran nuclear accord will meet in Vienna on September 1, the European Union announced Friday, after the US and its European allies sparred over Washington's bid to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran.

The meeting will be chaired by the EU and attended by representatives of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran, the EU said in a statement.

The US on Friday accused China and allies Britain and France of "abdicating their duty" as it held firm on its solitary push to maintain an arms embargo and restore broader UN sanctions on Iran dating back to 2006.

Britain, France and Germany had on Thursday rejected the US move, calling it "incompatible with our current efforts to support the JCPOA," the 2015 accord that aimed to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

The US administration of President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran accord in 2018 but controversially maintains it has the right to force the reimposition of sanctions through the agreement's "snapback" mechanism.

IAEA head to make first visit to Iran on Monday
Vienna (AFP) Aug 22, 2020 - The head of the UN atomic watchdog will to go Tehran on Monday for meetings with senior Iranian officials aimed at improving cooperation on Iran's nuclear activities, the IAEA said.

The visit comes amid tensions between the US and its European allies over Washington's bid to maintain an arms embargo on Iran and reimpose UN sanctions dating back to 2006.

It will be the first visit to Iran by Rafael Mariano Grossi since he became director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency in December.

The IAEA said in a statement on Saturday that Grossi will address Iran's cooperation with the agency and in particular access for its inspectors to certain sites.

"My objective is that my meetings in Tehran will lead to concrete progress in addressing the outstanding questions that the agency has related to safeguards in Iran and, in particular, to resolve the issue of access," he said.

"I also hope to establish a fruitful and cooperative channel of direct dialogue with the Iranian Government which will be valuable now and in the future."

His visit takes place shortly before a September 1 meeting in Vienna of the joint commission on the landmark 2015 deal between Iran and global powers that aims to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.

The US and European nations are at loggerheads after Washington began the process Thursday of activating a controversial mechanism aimed at restoring UN sanctions on Iran.

Britain, France and Germany rejected the move, saying it frustrated their efforts to salvage the 2015 accord that US President Donald Trump pulled out of two years ago.

Washington controversially maintains it has the right to force the reimposition of sanctions through the agreement's "snapback" mechanism despite its withdrawal.

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US-Europe row as Pompeo triggers start of Iran sanctions 'snapback'
United Nations, United States (AFP) Aug 20, 2020
The United States formally began the process Thursday of activating a controversial mechanism aimed at reimposing sanctions on Iran, a move that was immediately rejected by European allies fighting to save the Iranian nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Britain, France and Germany of "siding with the ayatollahs" after they insisted Washington had no legal right to trigger the disputed procedure called "snapback." Pompeo personally submitted a letter to the president of the UN Se ... read more