Pompeo: US Seized Iranian Weapons Bound for Yemen
The US Secretary of State, referring to the seizure of a ship carrying Iranian weapons for Houthi militias in Yemen, said Iran is not complying with UN arms embargo regulations that will expire in four months.
Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, announced that American forces and their partners seized a ship carrying Iranian weapons for Houthi insurgents in Yemen on June 28. The partners were not named.
According to him, the weapons included 200 RPG launchers, over 1,700 Kalashnikov rifles, 21 surface-to-air missiles and ground missiles, several anti-tank missiles and other advanced weapons and missiles.
On Wednesday, July 8, at a State Department press briefing, Pompeo announced that extending Iran’s arms embargo is necessary and said: “The Security Council should extend Iran’s arms embargo and prevent further conflicts in the region.”
He added: “No serious person can believe that Iran will use the weapons it receives for peaceful purposes.”
Pompeo is conducting a campaign to encourage the UN Security Council to extend these sanctions, which are set to expire in mid-October.
The US, which withdrew from the nuclear agreement with Iran (JCPOA) in 2018, has submitted a draft resolution to the Security Council in this regard.
Last week, Pompeo directly asked all 15 Security Council members to extend Iran’s arms embargo. However, Russia and China, which are veto-wielding powers on the Security Council, opposed the request.
The Houthi insurgents, who are supported by Iran, have been at war with the Yemeni government since 2015. The Yemeni government is backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
Pompeo noted that a report by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, last week confirmed that weapons seized by American forces in November 2019 and February 2020 have “Iranian origin.” The US said these weapons belonged to Iran and were meant to reach Yemeni Houthis.
The Islamic Republic’s mission called Guterres’ report “containing serious flaws, inaccuracies and inconsistencies.”
Pompeo also referred to the assassination of Hisham al-Hashemi, a prominent Iraqi journalist and critic of Iran’s role and interference in Iraq, saying: “He was repeatedly threatened by Iran-backed armed groups in the days leading to his death.”
Hisham al-Hashemi was assassinated on the evening of July 6 by masked motorcyclists as he left his home in Baghdad.
He, who was internationally recognized, had published numerous reports about extremist groups and Iran’s role in Iraq and was investigating the activities of extremist groups in Iraq.
Source: DW
