UN Security Council rejects proposal for extension of arms embargo on Iran

New York: The UN Security Council rejected the proposal of the United States to extend the conventional weapons embargo on Iran. On Friday, after this decision was taken, Iran claimed that this decision is a great victory for it and it has cornered the United States on an international level. But it is said that the United States can now conveniently impose its ‘Snapback’ sanction on Iran. Next week, the United States can decide on this sanction on Iran.

In 2015, the United States had accused Iran of violating the rules of the nuclear deal and conducting missile programmes. Against this background, the US had proposed to extend the weapons embargo on Iran. In October, the period of this sanction on Iran will be complete. Before that, the US had planned to extend its period. Moreover, Iran had warned the United States of grave consequences against imposing sanctions on it.

Thus, everyone was eager to know the verdict. On Friday, the United States was supported by the Dominican Republic during the meeting. China and Russia, who support Iran downvoted this proposal of the United States. Besides, 11 nations were absent during the verdict. Hence, the US proposal to extend Iran sanction could not be passed. Moreover, the US State Secretary Mike Pompeo fired a salvo of criticism over this verdict. The State Secretary expressed that the United Nations Security Council has failed to continue the sanctions for international peace and security.

Furthermore, US Secretary Pompeo criticized The UN Security Council failed today to hold Iran accountable. It enabled the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism to buy and sell deadly weapons and ignored the demands of countries in the Middle East. America will continue to work to correct this mistake. On the other hand, Iran has welcomed this decision of the UN Security Council. Moreover, the spokesperson of the Iran Foreign Ministry, Abbas Musavi, said, ‘Throughout the 75-year history of the United Nations, the US has never been so isolated despite all its efforts and lobbying.’

Musavi further taunted, ‘Despite all the trips, pressure, and the hawking, the United States could only mobilize a small country [to vote] with them. Iran’s ingenious political tactics defeated the United States.’ Besides, China claimed that result shows again that the US unilateralism enjoys no support. However, cautioned by this decision of the UN Security Council, Vladimir Putin immediately held a meeting with the standing members of the Defense Committee. The Russian President has indicated the last opportunity remaining to save the nuclear deal with Russia.

Besides, ‘The fact is that everybody at the UN believes this (resolution) is just a prelude to a US effort to trigger snapback and sink the Iranian nuclear deal,’ warned Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group. He also said that this sanction would permanently eradicate the deal from 2015. This snapback deal will include every deal that was imposed on Iran by the United Nations.