Iran Wants U.N. Arms Embargo Lifted

Iran is pushing for a United Nations arms embargo to be completely lifted as part of the international community’s moves to improve relations with Tehran in the wake of an emerging nuclear agreement, a senior Iranian diplomat said Monday.

Omen? Police officers lift a fallen poster for the Iran 
nuclear talks in front of the Palais Coburg, where talks 
between Iran and the six world powers continue in 
Vienna. Photo: European Pressphoto Agency

The diplomat said his government wasn’t specifically linking the lifting of a U.N. ban on arms sales to a nuclear accord. But he said the U.S. and European Union no longer could justify placing curbs on Iran’s military and ballistic-missile programs.

“This issue does not belong to the nuclear file so the natural question is: What has been the reason for the inclusion of arms embargo in the resolution in the first place?” the official said. “So this is a question that should be posed to our European and American partners…What was the reason that you put this issue in the agenda of the Security Council?”

The demand is among the final issues still being negotiated between Iran and six world powers—Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.S.

The Obama administration has set Tuesday as the deadline for concluding the talks. But U.S. and Iranian officials have suggested privately in recent days that the negotiations could extend to later in the week.

U.S. officials have said a new U.N. Security Council resolution must be drafted as part of any final agreement to lift associated sanctions. They say the resolution must maintain elements of the arms embargo and other restrictions.

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