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The five Security Council resolutions sanctioning Iran don't hit it as hard as the U.S. and European Union penalties, which have largely isolated Iran from the international financial system and cut off half its oil sales. But the U.N. sanctions are intrusive, authorizing U.N. member states to inspect Iranian cargo and banning sales of arms and so-called dual-use equipment that could be used to build nuclear arms or weapons of mass destruction.
The U.N. sanctions are a signal to the world that "Iran's nuclear program is illicit," said Mark Dubowitz, a sanctions specialist who has advised U.S. lawmakers on sanctions legislation.
Elimination of the U.N. sanctions would also be an important political victory for the Iranian government, allowing it to portray the nuclear deal as a major victory in its effort to restore the country's standing.
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