US to use domestic authorities to sanction sales of arms to Iran
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that Washington will impose sanctions for selling arms to Iran even as the United Nations embargo against sales to the nation expires.
While making the announcement on Sunday October 18, 2020, Pompeo said the United States is prepared to use its domestic authorities “to sanction any individual or entity that materially contributes to the supply, sale, or transfer of conventional arms to or from Iran, as well as those who provide technical training, financial support and services, and other assistance related to these arms.”
He added that for the past 10 years, countries have refrained from selling weapons to Iran under various UN measures.
“Any country that now challenges this prohibition will be very clearly choosing to fuel conflict and tension over promoting peace and security,” the US Secretary of State said.
His comments came as Tehran confirmed that the United Nations sanctions on buying and selling conventional weapons has been lifted “automatically”.
An Iranian Foreign Ministry statement published by the Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, earlier on Twitter, said, “Today’s normalization of Iran’s defense cooperation with the world is a win for the cause of multilateralism and peace and security in our region.”
He added it was “a momentous day for the international community, which— in defiance of malign US efforts—has protected UNSC Res. 2231 and JCPOA.”
“Iran’s defense doctrine is premised on strong reliance on its people and indigenous capabilities … Unconventional arms, weapons of mass destruction and a buying spree of conventional arms have no place in Iran’s defense doctrine,” said a Foreign Ministry statement carried by state media.
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