United States Presents New Draft Resolution for Arms Embargo on Iran to Security Council

The United States submitted a new draft resolution to the Security Council to extend the arms embargo on Iran, which would prevent the Islamic Republic from engaging in any arms dealings if approved. China and Russia have threatened to veto it.

On Tuesday, August 11, the United States presented a revised and updated version of the draft resolution on arms embargo against Iran to the Security Council. The proposed plan would prohibit arms dealings with Iran for an indefinite period and “until the Security Council decides otherwise.”

With Russia and China opposing the arms embargo on Iran, the aim of the United States in presenting the new text is to garner as much support as possible from all 15 members of the Security Council.

Kelly Craft, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, stated that the new draft takes into account advisory comments. She emphasized that, as everyone knows, “everything must be done to prevent Iran from buying and selling conventional weapons.”

In a statement, she said: “Common sense dictates that the world’s number one supporter of terrorism should not be given greater capacity to harm the world.”

According to the United States, the continuation of the arms embargo on Iran, whose official validity expires on October 18, is “absolutely necessary to ensure international peace and security.”

Diplomats have said that the U.S. proposed plan could be finalized on Thursday and put to a vote in the Security Council on Friday.

According to news agencies that obtained the draft text, this text is shorter than the one the United States presented in June and contains only four paragraphs, whereas the previous text had 35 paragraphs.

It is said that the U.S. aim in “revising” the plan is to be able to secure as many votes as possible for approving the resolution, as the previous text contained provisions that were said to go far beyond the arms embargo.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, the representative of the Islamic Republic to the United Nations, said in a Twitter message that the United States, due to the objections of Security Council members, “was forced to withdraw the previous plan and present a new draft.” He states that the nature and objective of the new plan are similar to the previous draft.

The Donald Trump administration has repeatedly warned that if the arms embargo on Iran is not extended, it will use the “snapback” mechanism in Security Council Resolution 2231 to restore all international sanctions against Iran that were lifted under the nuclear deal (JCPOA).

This is while China and Russia, two permanent members of the Security Council, argue that the United States is not permitted to resort to the “snapback” mechanism because it unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement (JCPOA).

The United States accuses China and Russia of waiting to sell weapons to Iran once the arms embargo expires.

Source: DW