TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani announced on Monday that the UN arms embargo on Iran will end in 2020, which as the president said is an outcome of staying in the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the JCPOA. 

“Dear Iranian people should know that thanks to continuation of the JCPOA we will materialize a great diplomatic, defense and security objective in the next year,” the president told a crowd of people in the city of Rafsanjan, Kerman Province. 

Iran clinched an international agreement on its nuclear program with five permanent members of the UN Security, Germany and the European Union in July 2015. The agreement was endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231. However, in May 2018, the United States under President Trump unilaterally abandoned the deal, thereby violating international law. 

Rouhani said, “(After the U.S. move) we had some choices. Some people told us ‘you pull out from the deal immediately. Some others told us ‘you must stay in the pact in any case and some of the people told us that ‘you must pursue a middle path. We realized that pursuing middle path will benefit us.”

Rouhani, who serves as the head of Supreme National Security Council, said, “Before the JCPOA, according to an United Nations resolution Iran was not allowed to import or export arms. Based on the said resolution as well as the United Nations Security Council resolution 2231, if we manage to save the JCPOA, arms embargo on Iran will be lifted and the country will be easily capable of selling and purchasing weapons which is one of the most important outcomes of the nuclear deal.”

He further reiterated, “We will maintain the pact and will guard our people’s rights. We will not surrender to the enemies’ pressure. This is an interaction path (that we have chosen).”

According to Franc 24, the U.S. urged the United Nations in August to extend an arms embargo on Tehran that is due to expire next year as part of the nuclear deal.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the UN Security Council that the clock was ticking on a resolution restricting weapons sales to Iran that is due to end in October 2020.

Pompeo warned that the expiration of provisions in resolution 2231 would also see a travel ban on a key Iranian commander lifted.

 
MJ/PA