The United States is working to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran and considers it diplomatic malpractice to let it be lifted later this year, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2020) The United States is working to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran and considers it diplomatic malpractice to let it be lifted later this year, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on Friday.
"We are trying to do what we can to... renew this," Hook told the gathering of experts and reporters in Washington. "We are about eight months away from the expiry. This will allow countries like China and Russia to sell conventional weapons to Iran and it will also allow Tehran to freely export conventional weapons."
He added that American diplomats were working with UN member states to extend the ban on conventional arms trade with Iran beyond its expiry in October 2020.
"We really think it will be diplomatic malpractice to let this embargo expire," Hook said.
He refused to elaborate on positions of Russia and China.
"Don't have to say anything about that publicly, but they are both permanent members of the UN Security Council," the diplomat said.
Speaking earlier this week in Vienna, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Moscow was opposed to US attempts to perpetuate UN sanctions against Iran.
