Tehran will continue to cooperate with Moscow regardless of whether or not the UN Security Council resolution proposed by the United States to extend the arms embargo against Iran will be adopted, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister and President of the Institute for political and international studies (IPIS) Sayed Kazem Sajjadpour said.
Earlier, the US submitted to the UN Security Council a draft resolution on extending the special regime of arms supplies (arms embargo) against Iran, which expires this fall. According to the draft, the Security Council should decide that after the expiration of the measures imposed in resolution 2231, "all member states should prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to Iran through their territories or by their citizens, or using their vessels or aircraft... of weapons and related materials".
"Our relations with Russia are on the right track. We will continue working with Russia regardless of whether or not this resolution is adopted," Sajjadpour said after the IV Russian - Iranian dialogue, organized with the participation of the Valdai international discussion club.
Sajjadpour noted that the US actions against Iran in connection with the situation around the JCPOA are "illegal, unethical and irrational and go against all international norms."
"We expect Russia and China to reject these illegal actions by the US, and we expect support in this regard not only from Russia and China, but also from any reasonable member of the international community," the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
In July 2015, Iran and the "six" international negotiators reached an agreement on the settlement of the long-standing problem of the Iranian atom. Months of negotiations concluded with the adoption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which is completely removed from Iran's previously imposed economic and financial sanctions by the UN Security Council, US and EU. The agreement also stipulated that the arms embargo would be lifted from Iran within 5 years, and arms deliveries would be possible earlier, but only with the permission of the UN Security Council. The deal in its original form did not last three years: in May 2018, the US announced a unilateral withdrawal from it and the restoration of strict sanctions against Tehran. However, since only the US formally withdrew from the deal, the rest of its participants must comply with the condition of lifting the arms embargo.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Frank Furness / Pixabay
Based on materials from RIA Novosti