The Chinese Mission to the United Nations said on Thursday that Washington has no right to extend a UN arms embargo on Tehran after the United States threatened to trigger a return of all sanctions on Iran at the UN Security Council. 

U.S. special envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, publicly confirmed the U.S. strategy on Wednesday, two weeks after a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. had told Britain, France and Germany of its plan. 

"U.S. failed to meet its obligations under Resolution 2231 by withdrawing from #JCPOA. It has no right to extend an arms embargo on Iran, let alone trigger snapback. Maintaining JCPOA is the only right way moving forward," China's UN Mission tweeted. 

Tehran was exempted of sanctions under a nuclear deal signed in 2015 with the U.S., Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France that prevents Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The deal – known as the JCPOA – allowed for a so-called snapback of sanctions, including the arms embargo, if Iran violated the deal. 

The arms embargo is due to expire in October under the deal.

Hook said that the United States has drafted a Security Council resolution to extend the arms embargo on Iran. To be adopted by the Council, a resolution needs nine "yes" votes from the Council's five permanent members Russia, China, the U.S., France and Britain, and 10 nonpermanent members, and no vetoes from the five permanent members. 

Russia has already signaled its opposition to extending the arms embargo on Iran and the U.S. claim that it can trigger the return of all sanctions on Tehran. 

U.S. President Donald Trump branded the accord from Barack Obama's presidency as "the worst deal ever" and withdrew the U.S. from it in 2018.  

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Washington argues it can trigger a return of UN sanctions because a 2015 Security Council resolution (Resolution 2231) enshrining the deal still names the U.S. as a participant. 

"This is ridiculous," Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters on Tuesday. "They are not members, they have no right to trigger."

Tehran has warned that the nuclear deal would "die forever" if the arms embargo was extended. 

With Iran fighting against the COVID-19 outbreak, China has urged Washington to lift any previous sanctions imposed on Tehran, saying keeping the sanctions during the pandemic would be immoral. 

In a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart in late April, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran should be lifted immediately. 

(With input from Reuters)