Iran’s Arms Ban Expiration, New Failure for US

Qaribabadi said that the United States has once more failed internationally as the decade-long sanctions against Iran’s arms trade has been lifted from Sunday, October 18, adding, “From now on, the governments cannot refer to the anti-Iran bans during the trade of weapons with Iranian origin.”  

In response to the question if the US can take another step to keep the arms embargo, given the claim that it had triggered the so-called snapback mechanism, he said that Washington cannot take this measure legally.

“The United States did everything in its power to bring the sanctions back to the UN Security Council, and was opposed by a majority of its members,” Iran’s senior diplomat reiterated.

“In practice, the US may try to dissuade governments and corporations from engaging with Iran by putting pressure on them and threatening to put their names on its list of unilateral sanctions,” the envoy added.

"These actions by the US are in contrast with UN Security Council Resolution 2231," he stressed.

In relevant remarks last week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that October 18 is the day when the UN arms embargo against his nation will be expired to enable Tehran to start weapons trade.

“On the next Sunday, we will announce this good news to the nation that 10 years of the unjust arms embargo is lifted,” Rouhani said while addressing a cabinet session on Wednesday.

“We have fought the United States for four years over this issue. For four years the US did whatever it could to not let October 18 happen, but this day will come,” he said, adding that this is because of the ‘resistance of the [Iranian] people’.

“As of Sunday, we will be able to sell our weapon to whomever we want and buy weapons from whomever we want.”

Earlier this month, Khatibzadeh had said that his country would start arms deals with other countries once the UN embargoes expire on October 18.

“Iran will act based on its right and needs and will start its interactions on the same day that the arms restrictions end,” Khatibzadeh told reporters in a press conference in Tehran.

He said that despite the difficulties posed by arms sanctions against Iran in the past 40 years, the country’s young experts and specialists have been able to produce different weapons and military equipment.

Asked about military trade between Iran and Russia, Khatibzadeh said, “Certainly, the defense ministry will act based on its needs.”

His comments came after Russian Ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan said that his country recognizes expiration of UN arms sanctions against Iran on October 18 and is ready to supply the country with its S-400 air defense system.

“We have said since the very first day that there will be no problem for selling weapons to Iran from October 19,” Dzhagaryan said in an interview with the Persian-language Resalat newspaper.

He underlined that Russia does not fear the US threats and will remain committed to its undertakings, adding that Moscow is ready to study the Iranian side’s proposals on purchasing weapons from Russia after October 18.

“As you know we have provided Iran with S-300. Russia does not have any problem to deliver S-400 to Iran and it did not have any problem before either,” Dzhagaryan said.

After the removal of pre-nuclear-deal sanctions against Iran, Russia delivered S-300 air defense systems to the country under the existing contract.

Iran designed and developed its own version of the S-300 missile shield, named Bavar 373, after the Russians shrugged off delivery of their advanced missile defense system to Iran on the pretext of the UN Security Council sanctions.

The Iranian version has superior features over the original Russian model as it enjoys increased mobility, agility and reduced launch-preparation time.

Iranian commanders had earlier said that Bavar 373 is similar to its original Russian model and traces and intercepts high-altitude targets.

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