Arms Ban Extension to Trigger Iran’s Harsh Response, Spokesman Warns


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran has sent a clear message to the US that extension of a UN arms embargo will draw a harsh response from the Islamic Republic, the Iranian administration’s spokesman said.

Speaking to Tasnim on Saturday, Ali Rabiee decried the US’ push for extending the arms embargo against Iran under a plan to again become a participant of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saying the White House must realize that international treaties are not toys.

On the US state secretary’s proposal for using a mechanism embedded within the JCPOA to make the UN maintain the arms embargo on Tehran, Rabiee told the US, “You’re wrong. Other countries are not playthings in your hands, and they do honor international commitments.”

The UN Security Council members and the JCPOA parties are well aware that extension of the arms embargo on Iran will have “dire consequence” not only for the JCPOA but also for regional security and stability, he warned.

“We think we have sent this clear message to the US and others that extension of the arms embargo on Iran contravenes the previous agreements and will draw a harsh reaction from the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Rabiee underlined.

“We are confident that the US will not accomplish this objective,” the spokesman stated.

There is no place for such bullying acts in the international arena, he added. “We believe that the JCPOA member states and the permanent members of the Security Council will definitely oppose this American law-breaking.”