US: Sanctions to be imposed for any sale or shipping of weapons to or from Iran 

The UN weapons embargo on Iran ended. The US threatens that whoever engages in arms trade with Iran will be hit by American sanctions 

US: Sanctions to be imposed for any sale or shipping of weapons to or from Iran 

State Department photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain

The UN embargo on Iran ended last Sunday. The significance is that Iran can start marketing or acquiring conventional weapons. However, on September 19, the US declared that any sale of conventional weapons to Iran or acquisition of such weapons from Iran constitutes a violation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1929, and the procurement of arms or related materiel constitutes a violation of UNSCR 1747. 

It should be noted that since Trump pulled out of the nuclear agreement, the UN did not accept the US position that the UN sanctions should be returned. In other words, the US cannot use the agreement that it withdrew from. In light of this, the sanctions expected for those who engage in arms trade with Iran will be sanctions of the US alone.  

"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," a State Department statement said.

"Every nation that seeks peace and stability in the Middle East and supports the fight against terrorism should refrain from any arms transactions with Iran. Providing arms to Iran will only aggravate tensions in the region, put more dangerous weapons into the hands of terrorist groups and proxies, and risk increasing threats to the security of Israel and other peaceful nations. 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 statement claimed that the Iranians are suffering because the regime continues to withhold nearly $1 billion from the Iranian Health Ministry for its COVID-19 response. "The regime is responsible for the consequences of how it allocates the Iranian people’s resources. Decades of corruption and radical policies by the regime’s leaders are responsible for the decay of a great nation. We stand with the Iranian people against tyranny, the squandering of their resources, and the regime’s efforts to crush their struggle for freedom."

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz wrote on his Twitter account, "With the expiration of the arms embargo on Iran today, we must be stronger and more determined than ever. Iran has never been an Israeli problem, but, first and foremost, a global and regional problem. As defense minister, I will continue to take whatever measures necessary, together with our partners, old and new, to prevent Iranian expansion and armament. All countries should get on board this important effort."

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