Xinhua News Agency, Tehran, October 18 (Reporter Chen Lin) Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 18th, announcing that the UN’s arms embargo on Iran will be automatically terminated without any conditions.

  The statement said that the comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue clearly stipulates that the termination of the arms embargo on Iran is unconditional, and there is no need to adopt a new agreement, nor need the Security Council to declare or take any new measures.

  The statement pointed out that starting on the 18th, all restrictions on the transfer of weapons into and out of Iran and related activities and financial services, as well as all prohibitions imposed on some Iranian citizens and military personnel on the prohibition of entering or transiting United Nations member states will automatically terminate.

  The statement also mentioned that according to its own defense needs, Iran can purchase any necessary weapons and equipment from any source without any legal restrictions, or export defense weapons according to its own policies.

  The UN’s arms embargo on Iran can be traced back to Resolution 1747 adopted by the UN Security Council in March 2007.

The resolution prohibits Iran’s export of weapons, and calls on all countries to be vigilant and restrained in exporting heavy weapons to Iran.

In July 2015, Iran and the six countries on the Iranian nuclear issue (the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany) reached a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue.

The agreement and the subsequent resolution 2231 adopted by the Security Council both stated that the United Nations will maintain the arms embargo on Iran until five years after the Iran nuclear agreement officially enters into force, that is, October 18, 2020.

  Recently, the United States proposed in the Security Council a draft resolution to extend the arms embargo on Iran and tried to activate the "quick restoration of sanctions" mechanism of the Iran nuclear agreement to prevent the lifting of the arms embargo on Iran with all its strength, but all ended in failure.

On the 18th, US Secretary of State Pompeo reiterated in a statement that the so-called UN sanctions against Iraq have been "reinstated", stating that the UN arms embargo on Iraq is still in effect.

He also said that those who carry out conventional arms trade with Iran or provide technical training and financial support for related weapons will be sanctioned by the United States.

(Reporter: Liu Pinran)