UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th August, 2020) The United States has prepared a new, shortened UN Security Council draft resolution to indefinitely extend the arms embargo against Iran, according to the text of the document seen by Sputnik on Wednesday.
Compared to the original 35-paragraph resolution introduced by the United States in June, the new draft consists of four paragraphs.
The new version "Decides, acting under Article 41 of the Charter of the United Nations, that [the arms embargo], notwithstanding the duration specified in each paragraph or sub-paragraph, shall continue to apply until the Security Council decides otherwise."
The draft resolution excludes the provisions, not directly related to the arms embargo, including granting the authorization to all UN member states to inspect cargo within or transiting through their territories from Iran, if there are reasonable grounds to believe the cargo contains items prohibited by the resolution.
The paragraphs deploring the attacks against Saudi Arabia's oil facilities in September 2019 and the attacks against several oil tankers in May and June the same year are also omitted in the new draft resolution.
In addition, the new draft resolution excludes the paragraphs that condemned the December 2019 attacks on an Iraqi military base in Kirkuk and the US Embassy in Baghdad.
In May, the United States first announced its plans to seek an extension of the UN arms embargo that is set to expire on October 18.
Russia and China have already voiced their opposition to the US document.
In July 2015, Iran signed a nuclear agreement with the United States, China, France, Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Union. The agreement stipulates that Iran must scale back its nuclear program and downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the UN arms embargo five years after the accord was adopted.
The agreement has been undermined since May 2018, when the United States unilaterally withdrew from the accord and reintroduced sanctions against Iran.
