The US has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council for a vote on extending the arms embargo against Iran. As a source in the organization told TASS on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Security Council will determine the date of the vote.
"The US has put a document for voting. The date of the meeting should be set by the President of the Council (in August, Indonesia will preside-ed. TASS), " he said.
Since March, due to the remote work of the Security Council, the vote is held in writing. After the start of the voting procedure, countries have 24 hours to transmit their decision to the Secretariat staff, after which the results are announced by the UN Security Council Chairman. However, the voting can also take place in the traditional format, if the Chairman decides so.
Restrictions on the import of weapons to Iran, according to the nuclear deal, will expire on October 18, 2020. US representatives have repeatedly indicated that they would seek to extend the embargo, despite their withdrawal from the Iran deal. Us Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft called the vote on the American document "a choice between peace and terror." She also said that the US wanted to "corner Russia and China" who opposed the resolution.
At the same time, diplomats interviewed by TASS expressed doubt that the resolution would get the nine necessary votes and to block it a veto would be required. In particular, at the UN Security Council meeting on Iran held in June, the United Kingdom, France and Germany expressed a common position on "the unacceptability of unilateral proposals leading to the resumption of sanctions".
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in June sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General, which states that there are no objective grounds for discussing the extension of the arms embargo against Iran in the Security Council. As the Russian Minister recalled, the procedure for supplying weapons and military equipment to Iran provided for in UN Security Council resolution 2231 was temporary. Lavrov clarified that the application of the provisions on restrictions on the import of weapons to Iran after October 18, 2020, was never intended and there are no legal or other reasons to review it.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Official website of the President of the Russian Federation