Russia never OK’d automatic sanctions snapbacks

Last week the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Corker-Menendez Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. The bill may turn out to be nothing more than window dressing, with Congress not voting to approve an Iran pact but, potentially to disapprove, a pact — which means a two-thirds presidential veto-proof majority will be necessary to kill a bad deal, in contrast to a simple majority to approve one.

While the president is fighting for his Iran nuclear pact over the objections of the majority of Congress, his Arab allies and Israel, another element of his promised agreement is falling apart. One of the items the president promised would be included in any deal is an automatic snapback of sanctions should Iran violate the deal.  At a press conference with the prime minister of Italy in mid-April, Obama said the snapback provisions were a key part of the deal.

Apparently no one told that to Russia or China, according to Bloomberg News, which reported that Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said that “there can be no automaticity, none whatsoever” in reimposing sanctions if Iran violates the terms of an agreement.

While the Obama administration maintains that Russia agreed “in principle” to the need for an sanctions snapback mechanism (under which sanctions would be reimposed automatically, without a U.N. Security Council vote, if Iran fails to comply with the agreement), Russian has offered no corroboration of its assent.

“Putin isn’t going to want to let the U.S. and European allies get their way on Iran without Russia’s agreement, said Yury Barmin, an analyst at the Delma Institute in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates,” Bloomberg reported, quoting Barmin as stating: “It’s highly doubtful to me that Russia could agree to automatic renewal of sanctions against Iran if there are violations. Russia may agree to discuss the issue at the U.N. Security Council, but not to quickly reapply economic measures.”