Gulf Cooperation Council calls for extension of Iran arms embargo

The Gulf Cooperation Council has called on the Security Council to extend arms sanctions on Iran. The United States has drafted a resolution to that effect that is expected to be vetoed by China and Russia.

Bloomberg News reported on Sunday, August 9, that it had obtained a copy of a letter that members of the Gulf Cooperation Council sent to the UN Security Council Secretariat yesterday.

The letter asks the Security Council to extend the arms embargo against the Islamic Republic, which is set to expire in October of this year, according to the JCPOA.

This move is seen as a step in line with the US's efforts to convince China and Russia not to veto a resolution on the matter. Last month, the Trump administration prepared a draft resolution to extend sanctions on Iran, which was not put to a vote and has now been put back on the agenda with minor changes.

According to this report, six Arab countries bordering the Persian Gulf have written to the Security Council asking that, in addition to extending the arms embargo, other measures necessary to prevent the "destabilizing spread of Iranian weapons" be put on the agenda.

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia have emphasized in the letter that these measures could include targeted asset freezes and travel bans on individuals involved in the shipment, sale, or transfer of arms and related materials from or to Iran.

In a letter signed by the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Nayef Fallah Mubarak Al-Hajraf, the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council claim that the Islamic Republic continues to send weapons to all countries in the region as part of its expansionist policies and interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries, thereby violating the UN Charter.

Two eye-catching features of Arab countries' letters

This letter is particularly noteworthy in two respects: first, the timing of its sending, which coincides with the submission of the draft resolution proposed by the United States, and second, the joint cooperation and unanimity of the six Gulf states after about three years of tension between them, especially in relation to Qatar.

Apparently, the efforts of Brian Hook, the former representative for Iran affairs at the US State Department, who recently began consultations with the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, have played an important role in the joint action of these countries.

Of the six Persian Gulf states, Qatar has had closer relations with the Islamic Republic, especially after its dispute with four GCC countries, and Oman, which normally remains neutral in regional conflicts, has repeatedly mediated between Iran and the West, including to initiate nuclear negotiations in 2013.

A few days ago, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US-proposed resolution to extend the arms embargo on Iran will be formally submitted to the Security Council next week.

The role of Iranian weapons in the ongoing Yemen conflict

He says that a large part of the conflict and fighting in Yemen is the result of the Islamic Republic's illegal action in sending weapons and military equipment to the Houthi rebels.

Iran denies sending weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, but there is ample evidence to support this. The UN Secretary-General also confirmed in one of his most recent reports that some of the weapons used by the Houthis in the attack on Saudi oil facilities were of "Iranian origin."

The US-proposed resolution is scheduled to be considered by the Security Council on Tuesday, August 11. The AFP news agency reported yesterday, citing diplomatic sources, that the resolution will not be adopted due to opposition from some countries.

Senior American officials have repeatedly stressed that they will continue to extend arms sanctions on Iran by any means necessary if this resolution is not passed. The three European countries that are parties to the nuclear deal agree to this, at least for a limited period.

Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic, had recently said that with the extension of the arms embargo, the "eternal death" of the JCPOA would also come.

Source: DW