Pompeo says US to ‘ensure’ arms embargo on Iran continues

UN ban on selling weapons to Tehran expires in October

By OMRI NAHMIAS
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 15, 2020 (photo credit: ANDREW HARNIK/POOL VIA REUTERS)
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 15, 2020
(photo credit: ANDREW HARNIK/POOL VIA REUTERS)
WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that “virtually everyone” agrees that the arms embargo on Iran should be extended. The embargo is set to expire on October 18, and the Trump administration is seeking to extend it.
“Our European counterparts too, are very concerned about what will happen if the arms embargo expires,” Pompeo said in a press conference. He added that while “there’s enormous consensus around the objective,” there are different views on how to achieve it.
“We’ve made clear both publicly, and in private to all the members of the Security Council, we intend to ensure that this arms embargo continues,” he continued. “We hope that this can be done by the UN Security Council resolution that all of the permanent members sign up for and, indeed, every member of the larger UN Security Council, but in the event that that’s not the case, we are still going to do everything in our power to achieve that. And we think we’ll be successful ultimately, in doing that.”
Pompeo wouldn’t say when such resolution will be introduced but indicated that the US “is not far” from doing that.
He also addressed the relationship between China and Iran and said that not only the US believes that China will sell weapon systems to Iran should the embargo expire, but the Iranians believe that, too. ”And indeed, they have been waiting for this day waiting for midnight on October 18, for the arms embargo to expire.” He said that the Europeans should pay attention to that, “and realize that the risk of this is real and that the work between Iran and the Chinese Communist Party may well commence rapidly and robustly on October 19 if we’re not successful at extending the arms embargo.”
“As for the larger picture, we have a set of sanctions related to any company or country that engages in activity with Iran,” he noted. “The sanctions are clear.  We have been unambiguous about enforcing them against our companies from allies, countries from all across the world.  We would certainly do that with respect to activity between Iran and China as well.”