U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo intensified his efforts on Wednesday, July 1, to defend Washington's position against lifting the international arms embargo on Iran.
"The Iranian regime doesn't deserve to have its arms embargo lifted," Pompeo tweeted, adding, the Islamic Republic "has not abided by current restrictions and continues to commit violations."
Furthermore, Pompeo asserted, "Iran cannot be trusted to act as a responsible nation when it continues threatening other nations and supporting terrorist activity."
In a video clip from his June 30 address to the UN Security Council attached to the tweet, Pompeo has insisted, "Iran is not a responsible democracy like Australia or India. We already know what Tehran will do, given the ability to buy more weaponry. Just consider the Secretary-General's UNSCR 2231 report... The report confirmed that weapons used to attack Saudi Arabia in September 2019 were of Iranian origin. The report has also confirmed the weapons interdicted off the coast of Yemen in November of 2019 and February 2020 were of Iranian origin."
Based on a UN resolution endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Britain, China, France, Russia, the USA, and Germany, the international arms embargo against the Islamic Republic will expire on October 18.
Iran argues that the sunset clause for the arms embargo is part of an international agreement and must be honored.
"Nearly all countries have arms. Mature nations use them for defensive purposes and to promote stability. But not the Islamic Republic of Iran," Secretary Pompeo asserted.
Calling on the U.N. Security Council to listen to Iran's neighbors "who are most exposed to Iran's predations," and demanding with a single voice the extension of the arms embargo" Pompeo has concluded, The United States' overwhelming preference is to work with this Council to extend the arms embargo to protect human life, to protect our national security, and to protect yours."
U.S. special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, after visiting United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Israel, met with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director in the Austrian capital city, Vienna.
In a tweet on Wednesday, IAEA Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said he had had discussions with Brian Hook over Iran's implementation of its safeguard obligations.
