Tehran jubilant after rejection of US arms embargo resolution

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a press conference in Tehran, February 16, 2020 (Photo illustration) Official Presidential website / Handout via REUTERS

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The United Nations Security Council on Friday, August 14, rejected the resolution proposed by the United States to extend the arms embargo in Iran. A decision perceived, in Tehran, as a large victory against the American enemy.

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With our correspondent in Tehran, Siavosh Ghazi

“  This is a historic failure  ” of the United States, asserted Iranian officials and the country's newspapers. Indeed, out of the fifteen members of the United Nations Security Council, only the small Dominican Republic voted in favor of this resolution, which aimed to extend the sanctions against the purchases and sales of arms by Iran. This embargo ends in October 2020, as provided for in the 2015 nuclear deal .

European countries that are members of the Security Council, such as France or the United Kingdom, abstained. Russia and China, Iran's allies, didn't even need to use their veto power to reject the US resolution on  Friday, August 14.

Iran turns away from Europe and the United States and looks to Asia

From October, Iran will therefore be able to sell weapons freely, in particular missiles and drones, among others to its Syrian and Iraqi allies. Most importantly, Iran will be able to buy combat arms from China and Russia. Tehran and Beijing are on the verge of finalizing a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement, which includes arms sales to Iran and significant Chinese investments in Iran's energy sector.

An identical agreement, for a period of 20 years, is also to be concluded between Iran and Russia. Tehran is now turning its back on Europeans and the United States to look towards Asia and develop its relations with China, Russia but also countries like India and Malaysia to counter American sanctions.

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  • Iran
  • United States
  • UN
  • Nuclear

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