RFE
30 Jun 2020, 23:45 GMT+10
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the UN Security Council on June 30 to extend an arms embargo on Iran, warning allowing it to expire in October would cause instability in the Middle East.
'Don't just take it from me or the United States, listen to countries in the region, from Israel, the Gulf, countries in the Middle East who are most exposed to Iran's predations are speaking with a single voice: extend the arms embargo,' Pompeo said.
The United States last week formally asked the 15-member Security Council to extend the UN embargo, which is set to be progressively eased beginning in October under the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
Veto-wielding Russia and China have said they oppose the U.S. move and have questioned Washington's right to use a disputed legal move to force a return of UN sanctions on Iran.
'Having quit the JCPOA, the U.S. is no longer a participant and has no right to trigger a snapback at the Security Council,' Chinese envoy Zhang Jun told the Security Council session, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal by its acronym.
The United States pulled out of the nuclear agreement in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions that have battered the Iranian economy. Iran has gradually started breaching its nuclear commitments.
Washington has argued it can trigger a "snapback" mechanism on UN sanctions and the arms embargo because it was a signatory to the agreement in 2015 and Iran has since not fully complied with its commitments.
If the embargo is lifted, Iran would likely seek to purchase fighter jets, tanks, naval assets, and other weapons from China and Russia to rebuild its aging military hardware.
Faced with the UN arms embargo, Iran has long sought to develop ballistic missiles as a deterrent and employed a relatively inexpensive strategy of asymmetric warfare and use of proxy forces around the region.
The UN arms embargo has not prevented Iran from supplying weapons to allies across the Middle East, including to Syria, Iraqi militias, Lebanon's Hizballah militant group, and Yemen's Huthi rebels.
The Security Council meeting heard a UN report that found cruise missiles and drones used in attacks on oil facilities and an airport in Saudi Arabia last year were of "Iranian origin."
'Iran is already violating the arms embargo even before its expiration date. Imagine if Iranian activity were sanctioned -- authorized -- by this group if the restrictions are lifted,' Pompeo said.
If the United States is unsuccessful at extending the arms embargo, Washington has threatened to trigger at the Security Council a return of all UN sanctions on Iran under the nuclear deal.
That policy is likely to be fraught with difficultly because the U.S. quit the deal and faces resistance from other countries.
Britain, France, and Germany are concerned about the arms embargo being lifted but have said they would like to reach a compromise out of concern Iran will completely exit the nuclear deal and act on threats to pull out of a key nonproliferation treaty.
However, European parties to the nuclear treaty also say they will not back U.S. efforts to unilaterally trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran.
With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters
Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Republished with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036
Get a daily dose of San Jose Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to San Jose Sun.
More Information(Photo credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images) The Toronto Maple Leafs traded veteran forward Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks in exchange...
(Photo credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images) Dallas Mavericks rookie and No. 1 NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg contributed 10 points, six...
(Photo credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images) Ceddanne Rafaela's two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning highlighted a 2-for-3...
(Photo credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images) The Athletics demoted right-hander Mitch Spence to Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday, one...
(Photo credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images) Thursday evening's contest between the host Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians...
(Photo credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images) New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones agreed to a three-year, $68 million extension,...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rebounded Tuesday with all the major indices gaining ground. Markets in the UK, Europe and Canada...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Financial markets kicked off the week on a cautious note as President Donald Trump rolled out a fresh round...
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: At a two-day summit over the weekend, the BRICS bloc of emerging economies issued a joint declaration condemning...