TEHRAN — Iran’s permanent mission to the UN has called on the UN Security Council to stand up to an “ill-intentioned” move by the U.S. government to extend an arms embargo on Tehran.

In a statement on Thursday, the Iranian mission rejected the U.S. draft resolution and described it as part of that country’s domestic policy.

“The U.S. draft resolution, presented in gross violation of Security Council Resolution 2231, is aimed at addressing U.S. domestic policy and has nothing to do with maintaining international peace and security,” the mission said, according to Press TV.

“The draft resolution undermines the integrity, authority, and credibility of the Security Council; and by extension, the United Nations, multilateralism, the rule of law and diplomacy,” it added.

The statement came before the UN Security Council members began to vote on the U.S. proposal to the extend arms embargo on Iran, a move that some diplomats say is bound to fail.

The move is opposed by veto-powers Russia and China.

The 13-year-old arms embargo is due to expire in October under a 2015 nuclear deal among Iran, Russia, China, Germany, Britain, France and the United States, which U.S. President Donald Trump walked away from in May 2018.

In a bid to gain more council support, the U.S. slashed its earlier draft resolution on Tuesday to just four paragraphs that would simply extend the arms ban on Tehran “until the Security Council decides otherwise,” claiming it’s “essential to the maintenance of international peace and security.”

The Iranian mission said the United States baselessly accuses Iran of instability in the region to satisfy its deep addiction to sanctions and to justify its irresponsible behavior in the Council.

“While its interventions, destructive behavior, divisive policies, and insatiable appetite for exporting its deadly weapons to countries in the region as well as the presence of a large number of its forces in the Middle East (West Asia), their involvement and spreading lies and destructive acts are the main sources of instability, insecurity and human suffering in this region,” it underlined.

The mission further said members of the Security Council are “expected to resist U.S. illegal and ill-intentioned action, to refrain from abusing or manipulating the work of the Security Council, and to demonstrate that the 15-member body is capable of supporting the UN Security Council.”

The United States has threatened to try and trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran if its bid to extend the arms embargo fails.

On Wednesday, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, expressed confidence that the Council will reject the U.S. move.

“Rebuffed by UNSC members, US was forced to retreat from its draft resolution on Iran arms embargo, and proposed another version—also violating 2231—today. The new draft is similar—in its NATURE and GOAL—to the previous. Confident that the Council will—again—reject this move,” Takht-Ravanchi tweeted.

In a tweet on August 10, Takht-Ravanchi urged the UN Security Council to reject bullying and unilateralism of the U.S. 

At the #UNSC, the US is actively resorting to Iran-phobia & coercion to gain support for its unlawful anti-2231 resolution, illegally seeking to extend an arms embargo on Iran.

The Council must reject bullying & unilateralism—again—as it did when US first introduced its draft.

— Majid Takht Ravanchi (@TakhtRavanchi) August 10, 2020

“At the #UNSC, the US is actively resorting to Iran-phobia & coercion to gain support for its unlawful anti-2231 resolution, illegally seeking to extend an arms embargo on Iran. The Council must reject bullying & unilateralism—again—as it did when US first introduced its draft,” he wrote.

MH/PA