Washington: The US will present a resolution in the UN Security Council next week to extend an international arms embargo on Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.
“We’re not going to let the arms embargo expire on October 18 of this year,” Pompeo said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
He also threatened to trigger the snapback mechanism in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal to reimpose UN sanctions against Tehran, reports Xinhua news agency.
Despite his threats, the US appeared to be isolated on the issue.
Foreign ministers of the UK, France, and Germany had said in June that they would not support any unilateral attempt to trigger a UN sanctions snapback.
Similarly, China’s permanent representative to UN Zhang Jun said two months ago that since the US is no longer a participant of the Iran nuclear deal, it has no right to trigger the snapback mechanism.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last month that any attempts to extend the arms embargo against Iran indefinitely were illegitimate.
Under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the arms embargo will be lifted this October.
Tehran said it would not accept a renewal of the embargo.
on 2nd May 2020, Iran’s envoy to the UN said that the US’ move for the extension of an arms embargo on Tehran lacked legal standing and it will be turned down at the UN Security Council, state TV reported on Saturday.
The countries “will not accept to be a partner in the Americans’ very ugly measure that runs against international law”, Majid Takht-Ravanchi made the remarks on Friday after Washington drafted a resolution to indefinitely prolong the arms embargo on Iran.
