Major members of UNSC hail Iran nuclear deal

Major members of the UN Security Council on Monday welcomed the landmark nuclear deal reached on July 14 in Vienna between Iran and major world powers, as the 15-nation UN body unanimously adopted a resolution to endorse the deal.

Representatives of the five permanent Council members, namely Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, took the Council floor to express their support for the deal, an outcome of long, tough negotiations between the five plus Germany and the Islamic republic.

They all called the new deal "historic" in nature, and voiced the hope that the new Council resolution and the deal itself can be carried out in good faith.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, in a statement via his spokesman, also welcomed the new Council resolution, stressing that "the United Nations stands ready to provide whatever assistance is required in giving effect to the resolution."

In his address, Liu Jieyi, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, noted that the unanimous adoption of the new Council resolution represents the first important step in implementing the Iran nuclear deal.

He hoped that any possible differences arising from the implementation process can be properly settled on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and through the display of good faith.

For her part, Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said that the Security Council sanctions, which she described as one of the toughest sanction regimes in the Council's history, would only be lifted once Iran had verifiably begun to implement its responsibilities under the Vienna agreement.

"Sanctions relief will begin only when Iran verifiably completes the initial steps necessary to bring its nuclear program in line with the deal," Power said.

She described the long process to strike the final deal as grueling but worthwhile, because of the need to resolve the crisis peacefully.

However, Power's speech also included many caveats, accusing Iran of having contributed to destabilization of the region and stating that the United States would maintain sanctions against Iran in other non-nuclear-related areas.

The Iranian UN representative later rebuked the U.S. charges in his speech.

Francois Delattre, the ambassador of France to the UN, expressed France's support for the deal, which he said would contribute to regional and international stability. "An Iran with nuclear weapons would have further destabilized this region which is already racked by so many crises," Delattre said.

Delattre described the agreement as "specific, comprehensive and credible," and said it includes a robust monitoring and verification system to ensure Iran's compliance.

"We will judge by its actions Iran's willingness to make this deal a success," he said, citing the "snap-back" provisions of the deal, which mean sanctions would fall back in place in case of non- compliance.

Vitaly Churkin, the ambassador of Russia to the UN, praised all the participants in the Vienna negotiations -- Iran and the five permanent Council members plus Germany -- for clearly demonstrating their readiness to engage in collective efforts.

The Moscow envoy acknowledged the importance of the deal in ensuring that the Middle East region doesn't enter into a new arms race, and in helping create a "zone in the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction."

Matthew Rycroft, the British ambassador to the UN, described the resolution as an important milestone in the history of the UN Security Council.

"I'm delighted that the Council has endorsed this deal unanimously," he said. "The world is now a safer place in the knowledge that Iran cannot now build a nuclear bomb."

In his speech, Rycroft focused on the opportunity the deal has created for his country and others to rebuild relationships with Iran, which has become isolated after decades of sanctions.

"We can now start the work of rebuilding a deficit of trust which has built over decades," he said, adding that the Vienna agreement "creates the baseline from which to recalibrate our broader relationship with Iran."

Iran's ambassador to the UN, Ali Khoshroo, was also invited to speak at the open Council meeting. He said that Iran is resolute in fulfilling its commitments under the agreement.

"As Iran is resolute in fulfilling its obligations, we expect that our counterparts remain also faithful to theirs," he said. " Only through honoring commitments, displaying good faith and adopting the right approach can diplomacy prevail over conflict and war in a world that is replete with violence, suffering and oppression."

Responding to some of the remarks from the U.S. ambassador Power, the Iranian diplomat stressed: "Iran is a stable country in an unstable region. As we want our stability to persist we promote stability in the region."