UNSC Vote Once Again Showed US’s Global Isolation, Envoy Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said a recent vote at the UN Security Council against Washington’s proposal to extend an arms ban on Iran once again showed the US’ deepening global isolation.
“The result of the vote in #UNSC on arms embargo against Iran shows—once more—the US' isolation. Council's message: NO to UNILATERALISM. US must learn from this debacle. Its attempt to ‘snapback’ sanctions is illegal, and was rejected by int'l community, as was evident today,” Majid Takht-Ravanchi tweeted on Friday.
The United States suffered an embarrassing diplomatic defeat on Friday when the United Nations Security Council rejected its bid to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Iran.
The embargo on conventional arms is due to expire on October 18 under the terms of a resolution that blessed the Iran nuclear deal, signed in July 2015 and officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Washington was not expected to receive nine votes in favor, removing the need for Russia and China to wield their vetoes which they had indicated they were prepared to do.
The US text, rejected by the Security Council, effectively called for an indefinite extension of the embargo on Iran.
Diplomats feared that the resolution would threaten the nuclear agreement.
Iran says it has the right to self-defense and that a continuation of the ban would mean an end to the nuclear deal.
The United States has threatened to try to force a return of UN sanctions if it is not extended by using a controversial technique called "snapback."
