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WORLD NEWS Monday 19 october 2020
U.N. arms embargoes on Iran expire despite U.S. objections

By NASSER KARIMI embargo targeted Iranian
Associated Press arms exports.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A de- The U.S. Defense Intelli-
cade-long U.N. arms em- gence Agency predicted
bargo on Iran that barred in 2019 that if the embargo
it from purchasing foreign ended, Iran likely would try
weapons like tanks and to purchase Russian Su-30
fighter jets expired Sunday fighter jets, Yak-130 train-
as planned under its nucle- er aircraft and T-90 tanks.
ar deal with world powers, Tehran also may try to buy
despite objections from the Russia's S-400 anti-aircraft
United States, which insists missile system and its Bas-
the ban remains in place. tian coastal defense missile
While Iran says it plans no system, the DIA said. China
"buying spree," it can now also could sell Iran arms.
in theory purchase weap- Iran long has been out-
ons to upgrade military matched by U.S.-backed
armaments dating back Gulf nations like Saudi Ara-
to before its 1979 Islamic bia and the United Arab
Revolution and sell its own Emirates, which have pur-
locally produced gear chased billions of dollars
abroad. of advanced American
In practice, however, Iran's In this Nov. 13, 2012 file photo, an Iranian clergyman stands next to missiles and army troops, weaponry. In response,
economy remains crippled during a manoeuvre, in an undisclosed location in Iran. Tehran turned toward de-
by broad-reaching U.S. Associated Press veloping locally made bal-
sanctions, and other na- of the world. "Today's nor- a statement. "For the past the 15-member panel sup- listic missiles.
tions may avoid arms deals malization of Iran's defense 10 years, countries have re- ported it. Iran has blasted Gulf Arab
with Tehran for fear of cooperation with the world frained from selling weap- In response, the administra- purchases of U.S.-made
American financial retalia- is a win for the cause of ons to Iran under various tion announced that it had defense equipment as "re-
tion. The Trump administra- multilateralism and peace U.N. measures," Pompeo invoked "snapback" — a grettably lucrative weapon
tion has warned that any and security in our region," said. "Any country that now mechanism provided for in deals" with some of those
sales of weapons to Iran or Iran's Foreign Minister Mo- challenges this prohibition the Security Council resolu- arms used in the ongoing
exports from Iran will be pe- hammad Javad Zarif wrote will be very clearly choos- tion that enshrined the nu- war in Yemen. That con-
nalized. on Twitter. U.S. Secretary of ing to fuel conflict and ten- clear deal that allows any flict pits a Saudi-led coali-
The Islamic Republic her- State Mike Pompeo flatly sion over promoting peace participant in the accord tion backing the country's
alded the end of the arms rejected the expiration. and security." to restore U.N. sanctions if internationally recognized
embargo as "a momentous "The United States is pre- Sunday's expiration of the they determine Iran is not government against rebel
day for the international pared to use its domestic arms embargo was, in fact, complying with its terms. forces backed by Iran.
community ... in defiance authorities to sanction any the proximate cause for The rest of the council, how- The U.N. arms embargoes,
of the U.S. regime's effort." individual or entity that the U.S. decision last month ever, rejected U.S. standing however, did not stop Iran
The Trump administration, materially contributes to to move forward with the to trigger snapback, saying from sending weapons
meanwhile, says the expi- the supply, sale, or trans- so-called "snapback" of it had lost its right to do so ranging from assault rifles to
ration is moot since it re- fer of conventional arms international sanctions in when Trump pulled our of ballistic missiles to Yemen's
imposed all U.N. sanctions to or from Iran, as well as Iran. The Americans tried the deal. Houthi rebels. While Tehran
on Iran, including the arms those who provide techni- unsuccessfully to get the The United Nations banned denies arming the Houthis,
embargo, via a clause in cal training, financial sup- U.N. Security Council to ex- Iran from buying major for- Western governments and
the nuclear deal Trump port and services, and tend the embargo but suf- eign weapon systems in weapons experts repeat-
withdrew from in 2018, a other assistance related fered a humiliating defeat 2010 amid tensions over its edly have linked Iranian
claim ignored by the rest to these arms," he said in when only one country on nuclear program. An earlier arms to the rebels. q
Dutch king returns from vacation after lockdown uproar

THE HAGUE (AP) — The beat the COVID-19 virus it Prime Minister Mark Rutte
Dutch royal couple were is necessary to follow the said that the nation need-
back in the Netherlands rules. The discussion caused ed to move a step closer
Saturday after their vaca- by our vacation does not to a full lockdown because
tion trip to Greece had to contribute to that." otherwise hospitals would
be abandoned because The seven-day rolling aver- become so overburdened
of an uproar back home, age of daily new cases in that people with other ur-
where people are urged to the Netherlands has more gent needs would be un-
stay at home as much as than doubled over the past able to get treatment.
possible. King Willem-Alex- two weeks, to 42 cases per "We have to be tougher
ander and Queen Maxima 100,000 people on Friday. on ourselves," Rutte said in
said in a statement that Dutch bars and restaurants an address to the nation.
they saw the reactions of were closed as of Wednes- A royal vacation during
people, "which are intense, day as part of a partial the partial lockdown coun-
and they touch us." lockdown that will last at tered such advice.
As a result they said they least four weeks to counter "The vacation shows the In this Monday, March 23, 2020 file photo, a cyclist takes images
would cancel the rest of the sustained surge in coro- wide gap between the king of a barricaded backroad used by locals on the Netherlands
their vacation. navirus cases across the and society," headlined the border with Belgium between Chaam, southern Netherlands,
"Let there be no doubt: To Netherlands. public broadcaster NOS.q and Meerle, Northern Belgium.
Associated Press