A Chinese envoy on Tuesday expressed the hope that the UN secretary-general's report concerning the Iran nuclear deal can enforce the deal in an objective, balanced and comprehensive manner, and better accommodate and reflect the legitimate concerns of Iran.

The secretary-general's latest report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorses the Iran nuclear deal underlines the importance of safeguarding the agreement, and calls on member states to avoid provocative rhetoric and actions, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

The report welcomes the positive developments in INSTEX, a European special-purpose vehicle to facilitate transactions with Iran to avoid breaking U.S. sanctions. It encourages member states to fully support and utilize the procurement channel, and supports member states' trade and economic relations with Iran, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, he noted.

China appreciates those points, Zhang told the Security Council.

"Meanwhile, China agrees with some countries that the report should remain fact-based and reflect the implementation of the resolution in an objective, balanced and comprehensive manner," said Zhang.

"The 2231 format is not a sanctions mechanism. The Secretariat should act in strict accordance with its mandate and function. The report failed to fully accommodate and reflect the legitimate concerns of Iran. It also made conclusions on issues, such as the origin of weapons, simply based on one-sided information. This is deeply regrettable."

China hopes to bring this to the high attention of the UN Secretariat, which helped formulate the secretary-general's report, said Zhang.

China has noticed that some countries expressed concerns over Iran's missile and satellite launches. Iran has clarified the conventional and self-defensive nature of its missile program on many occasions. It is important that all parties accurately interpret the resolution so as to avoid a negative impact on the implementation of Iran nuclear deal, he said.

Iran's reduction of its commitments under the nuclear deal is a result of U.S. maximum pressure, said Zhang.

Relevant parties should exercise restraint, resolve differences through consultations, and refrain from taking steps that might complicate the situation, he said.

The root cause of the current crisis is the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and the re-imposition of unilateral sanctions against Iran, said Zhang. 

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