UN Security Council rejects US proposal to extend arms embargo on Iran
Only the United States and the Dominican Republic voted for the resolution, with Britain, France and Germany among the 11 abstentions
The United Nations Security Council voted against a U.S.-drafted resolution to extend the international arms embargo on Iran.
Russia and China opposed the proposal offered on Friday. Only the United States and the Dominican Republic voted for the resolution. Britain, France and Germany were among the 11 abstentions.
A resolution requires at least nine yes votes and no vetoes in order to pass.
The weapons ban is set to expire in October as part of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The United States left the pact in 2018.
In the wake of the rejection, the U.S. said it would trigger a snapback of all U.N. sanctions on Iran as provided for in the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. It is not clear, however, whether the U.S. can reactivate the sanctions since it is no longer a partner to the agreement.
The European Union has placed embargoes on conventional arms exports and missile technology to Iran until 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is working to bring the United States and the partners to the nuclear deal to a video summit with Iran to prevent a conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the Security Council for rejecting the proposal.
“The United Nations Security Council is charged with the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. It failed today to uphold its fundamental mission set,” he said in a statement. “It rejected a reasonable resolution to extend the 13-year old arms embargo on Iran and paved the way for the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism to buy and sell conventional weapons without specific U.N. restrictions in place for the first time in over a decade. The Security Council’s failure to act decisively in defence of international peace and security is inexcusable.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had urged the United States to leave the nuclear deal, called the Security Council decision “scandalous.”
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