US Pushes for Iranian Arms Embargo With Amended UN Resolution Proposal

The United States submitted an amended draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, aimed at extending the international Iranian arms embargo due to expire in mid-October. According to Reuters, the abbreviated document now contains a simple four-paragraph bid to lengthen the weapons ban until the Council resolves otherwise. The arms embargo is scheduled to end on October 18 in accordance with the comprehensive nuclear deal signed by Iran and the P5+1 countries (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US, plus Germany) in 2015. While its shorter version may help the US delegation procure some more votes in favor, it is still doubtful the nine “yea” votes required to pass the proposal will be reached. Even if the draft is voted through, a Chinese or Russian veto is a virtual certainty. Washington plans instead to try to employ the “snapback” clause of the 2015 deal by submitting to the Security Council a complaint of Iran’s breaching the agreement, a move that would effectively kill the nuclear deal and reimpose all pre-2015 sanctions.