Iran has lauded the Russian and Chinese support to prevent Security Council from extending the arms’ embargo imposed on Tehran.
While disclosing this on Saturday August 15, 2020, the Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, said it was the first time that a US-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council was turned down as he described this as a “catastrophic failure”.
The Security Council rejected the US bid to extend an arms embargo on Iran indefinitely.
For his part, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the UN’s Security Council “failure to act decisively” was “inexcusable.”
11 countries abstained, two voted against and two voted in favor. The result was expected due to the opposition expressed by Russia and China – two members with the veto right.
Commenting on the matter, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, said in a tweet, “Despite all the trips, pressure and the hawking, the United States could only mobilize a small country (to vote) with them.”
The US got support only from the Dominican Republic.
Notably, the UN arms embargo on Iran is due to expire under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
