15/08/2020

Russia and China veto U.S.-drafted UNSC resolution extending arms embargo on Iran

NEW YORK — On Friday, during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Iran, Russia and China both vetoed a U.S-drafted resolution to extend the arms embargo on Iran in accordance with the nuclear agreement signed in 2015.

Eleven countries including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom abstained from voting. Only the U.S. and the Dominican Republic voted in favor of the draft resolution.

The U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Kelly Craft, declared in a statement that the U.S. will do everything in its power to extend the arms embargo.

U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien expressed his disappointment at the refusal of France, Germany, and the U.K. to support the U.S.’s efforts to extend the arms embargo on Iran.

In response to the U.S. statements, Iran’s ambassador to the U.N., Majeed Takht Rawanji, stated that any sanctions or restrictions imposed by the UNSC on Iran would be met with firmness.

Permanent Russian Representative to the U.N., Vassily Nebenzia, called on the members of the UNSC to avoid escalating the confrontation with Iranian.