TEHRAN — Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, indicates that the U.S. has failed to garner support for its anti-Iran resolution at the UN Security Council.

“Yesterday, US briefed #UNSC on the extension of arms embargo on Iran and called for Council's unity,” Takht-Ravanchi tweeted on Thursday.

He added, “@StateDept note on the briefing mentioned NOTHING about the reaction of UNSC members. Perhaps reason was their UNANIMOUS call for full implementation of #JCPOA & UNSCR 2231.”

It came a day after the U.S. briefed the UN Security Council on a resolution, which called for a 2015 arms embargo against Iran to be extended.

The U.S. resolution claimed that lifting the arms embargo could have “major implications” for security and stability of the Middle East region, urging the UN body to “prohibit the supply, sale or transfer, direct or indirect ... of weapons and related materials” to Iran.

The United States has stepped up calls for the extension of a UN arms embargo on Iran since April.

“If that (return of UN sanctions) happens, Iran will not be under constraint as to what course of action it should take.”

Under the UN Security Council’s 2231 resolution, which endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal, the arms embargo on Iran expires in October.

The Trump administration has threatened that it may seek to trigger a snapback of all sanctions on Iran if its attempts to extend the arms embargo fail.

Takht-Ravanchi has also said that the U.S. resolution will be defeated and warned it would be “a very, very big mistake” if the Trump administration then tries to re-impose UN sanctions.

He said restoring UN sanctions will end the nuclear deal between Iran and major powers and release Tehran from all its commitments.

“If that happens, Iran will not be under constraint as to what course of action it should take,” he told reporters on Thursday. “All options for Iran will be open.”

France, Germany, and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement published on Friday that the European Union’s embargoes on conventional arms exports and missile technology to Iran will remain in force until 2023.

“The E3 remain committed to fully implementing Resolution 2231 by which the JCPOA has been endorsed in 2015. However, we believe that the planned lifting of the UN conventional arms embargo established by Resolution 2231 next October would have major implications for regional security and stability. We recall that the EU embargoes on conventional arms exports and missile technology will remain in force until 2023,” said the statement published by the UK Foreign Ministry website.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif ridiculed a claim by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about Iran’s plan to purchase fighter aircraft.

“@SecPompeo is so desperate to mislead the world that he claims come October, Iran will purchase fighter aircraft,” Zarif tweeted on Tuesday.

He added, “And then send them off to the limits of their ONE-WAY ranges. Perhaps he could also say how they would fly back to Iran having exhausted their fuel.”

Zarif attached a photo of an earlier tweet by Pompeo, which claimed that Europe and Asia could be in Iran’s crosshairs if it purchases new fighter aircraft.

“If the @UN Arms Embargo on Iran expires in October, Iran will be able to buy new fighter aircraft like Russia’s SU-30 and China’s J-10,” Pompeo wrote.

“With these highly lethal aircraft, Europe and Asia could be in Iran’s crosshairs. The U.S. will never let this happen,” he added.

MH/PA