AJC letter to UNSC members, European Union members, and other nations, urging them to keep these critical sanctions in place

In October, Annex B of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which imposes missile-related sanctions on Iran, is set to expire.

Recognizing the grave danger that this presents, AJC sent a letter to UNSC members, European Union members, and other nations, urging them to keep these critical sanctions in place.

Your Excellency:

I write on behalf of the American Jewish Committee to call on your Government to take urgent measures to address the threat posed by Iran’s missile-related activities.

In a few short months, Annex B to UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) will expire, lifting restrictions on certain missile-related activities and transfers to and from Iran, including all items, materials, equipment, goods, and technology set out in the Missile Technology Control Regime Annex, absent advance, case-by-case approval from the UN Security Council.

Even with Annex B ostensibly in force, Iran has repeatedly violated it: transferring Shahed and Mohajer drones, covered under the Missile Technology Control Regime Annex, to the Russian Federation, the government of Ethiopia, and Iran-aligned entities, including the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq, without prior authorization from the Security Council.

If the Security Council fails to act due to the veto power wielded by some permanent members, essential missile-related restrictions in Annex B will expire in October 2023, removing international legal restrictions on missile-related activities and transfers to and from Iran. In light of the foregoing, AJC urges your Government to:

• Urgently seek the extension of missile-related restrictions outlined in Annex B; • Use all available measures to constrain Iran’s domestic ballistic missile production capabilities;
• Deter the transfer of conventional and non-conventional arms, equipment, material, and technology to and from Iran, or involving the government of Iran; and
• Ensure that countries, individuals, and entities engaged in the acquisition, facilitation, or development of arms and related components and technology subject to restrictions under Annex B are held to account, including through sanctions and use of export controls, regardless of whether the restrictions under Annex B remain in effect following their scheduled expiration.

In its pursuit of regional hegemony, Iran continues to destabilize the region. In addition to developing ballistic missiles, it uses Shia militias to coerce and undermine governments, arms Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, encourages terrorism and subversion, and develops factories to add precision guidance capabilities to its thousands of rockets in Lebanon and Syria. In this regard, AJC reiterates our appeal for the universal designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity.

Most alarming is Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, which reveal intentions to develop nuclear weapons. Since April 2021, Iran has been enriching its uranium stockpiles to 60 percent, just below bomb-grade. According to experts, Iran can produce enough weapons-grade uranium to fuel at least two nuclear bombs in just a few weeks.

For regional and global security, the links between Iran’s nuclear and weapons-delivery (missile) programs must be broken, as must the links between the country’s missile development and regional aggression. AJC urges your Government to act boldly and promptly to address these dire threats.

Respectfully,

Jason F. Isaacson