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Iran calls on Russia, China to stand against US plan to extend arms embargo

June 11, 2020 at 12:59 pm

President of Iran Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, Iran on 27 May 2020 [Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency]

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani yesterday called on Russia and China to stand against US efforts to extend a UN Security Council arms embargo imposed on Tehran which is set to expire in October.

“We want from the four [other] permanent members of the UN Security Council to stand up to the US for the benefit of the world. We especially expect from our two friendly countries, Russia and China, to stand up to this conspiracy,” Rouhani said during a cabinet meeting.

The Iranian president added that his country has increased its defensive capabilities even under sanctions saying: “America will not succeed … and we will increase our defence capabilities as we have been doing so even under sanctions”.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, rejected US efforts to extend the arms embargo on Iran, stressing that America has no legal right to try to use the UN resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal to indefinitely continue the arms embargo after withdrawing from the pact.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier that extending the arms embargo against Iran is a top priority for the United States.

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