US warns of unilateral action against Iran after Russia’s veto in the UN Security Council

Tegucigalpa/Washington : Nikki Haley, the US envoy to United Nations issued a stern warning saying, “If Russia continues to consistently protect Iran, the United States and its allies will have to independently take a decision about Iran. If action cannot be initiated through the Security Council, the United States will be forced to take action.”The United States expressed its anger after the UN vote on Monday.

The warning by Haley that the United States and its allies will act unilaterally against Iran is being looked upon seriously. Haley did not specify the action that will be taken by the United States. But Haley said that the United States has not backed off just because of this one veto.

‘This veto has not cleared the threat for the Iran nuclear treaty. The United States had decided the plan of action about the Iranian nuclear deal and the nuclear programme along time ago. Iran will have to face the US action for its dangerous and illegal activities,’ warned Haley.

Following the United States, the British envoy, Jonathan Allen, also criticised the use of veto power by Russia, whereas Russia justified its use of veto in the matter.

The United States and Britain have accused Iran of supplying medium range ballistic missiles to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. As per the UN Security Council sanctions, Iran is not allowed to manufacture and sell ballistic missiles. Therefore, the US and its allies have accused that Iran has violated the sanctions imposed by the UN by supplying missiles to the Houthi rebels,responsible for flaring upa civil war in Yemen.

With this background, Britain had moved a resolution in the Security Council demanding to increase the sanctions against Iran. But Russia and Bolivia opposed the resolution and Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, rejected the resolution using veto power. Representatives of China and Kazakhstan abstained from the vote. The US media claims that the resolution has been disposed, proves to be a shock to the United States.

Russia has questioned the evidences collected by the investigation team against Iran. Vasily Nebenzia, the Russian envoy to the Security Council has said that these evidences are not acceptable to Russia.The US Department of State has emphatically stated that the evidence produced by Nikki Haley, the US envoy to the UN, cannot be denied by anyone including Russia.

Haley displayed the pieces of the ballistic missile fired by the Houthi rebels into Saudi Arabia, before the media. Indicating the Iranian army’s and companies’ markings on the missile pieces, US Department of State said that Iran is illegally supplying arms to the Houthi rebels. But, Russia has rejected these accusations against Iran.

Meanwhile, angered by the use of veto, the US with its allies has threatened of an unilateral action against Iran. A few days ago, it was reported that countries like Britain, France and Germany which earlier supported Iran against the United States on the issue of the nuclear deal,have also started issuing warnings to Iran. Britain indicated the change in its position by bringing the resolution in the UN against Iran. This is a significant point which reveals that that the United States does not stand alone against the Iran issue.