The United Nations Security Council reiterated a US resolution to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran indefinitely, with the Trump administration promising further action to prevent Tehran’s sale and export of conventional weapons.
The vote in the 15-member council was two in favor, two against and 11 abstentions, making it far too low of the minimum nine “yes” votes required for adoption.
Russia and China were strongly opposed to the resolution, but did not use their fetuses.
The Trump administration has said several times that it will not allow the provision of an arms embargo – in the Security Council resolution supporting the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers – to lapse as planned on 18 October.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the defeat of the resolution ahead of a very short virtual council meeting to open the vote.
He said Israel and the six Arab Gulf countries that supported the expansion “know Iran will spread even greater chaos and destruction if the embargo passes, but the Security Council has chosen to ignore them.”
“We will continue to work to ensure that theocratic terrorism does not have the freedom to buy and sell weapons that threaten the hearts of Europe, the Middle East and beyond,” Pompeo said in a statement.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft said: “The United States is sick – but not surprised – because the clear majority of its members gave the green light to Iran to buy and sell all conventional weapons.”
Pompeo also suggested that the US could call for the so-called “snap back” mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal that would restore all UN sanctions on Iran.
“Snap back” was proposed in the event that it was proved that Iran was in conflict with the agreement, under which it received billions of dollars in sanctions in exchange for sidewalks on its nuclear program.
In 2018, President Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement between Iran and six major powers, known as the JCPOA.
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The other five powers – Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – remain committed to the deal, and diplomats from many of these countries have expressed concern that the extension of the arms embargo would lead to Iran withdrawing its nuclear deal and its pursuit. of nuclear weapons.
Iranian Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi accused the US of trying to use the arms embargo “as a condition of killing the JCPOA forever through the snap-back mechanism.”
“As we have already said, the imposition of any sanctions or restrictions on Iran by the Security Council will be heavily complied with by Iran and our options are not restricted,” he said.
