UN arms embargo on Iran expires

Tehran marks the expiry date by asserting its right to buy arms from any source for ‘defensive needs’.

Mohammad Javad Zarif says Sunday marks the normalisation of Iran’s co-operation with the world. Picture: AFP

A longstanding UN embargo on arms sales to and from Iran expired on Sunday in line with a 2015 landmark nuclear deal.

“As of today, all restrictions on the transfer of arms, related activities and financial services to and from the Islamic Republic of Iran … are all automatically terminated,” the Iranian foreign ministry said.

The embargo on the sale of arms to Iran was due to start expiring progressively from Sunday under the terms of the UN resolution that blessed the 2015 nuclear deal between the Islamic republic and world powers.

“As of today, the Islamic Republic may procure any necessary arms and equipment from any source without any legal restrictions, and solely based on its defensive needs,” the ministry posted on Twitter.

It insisted that under the terms of the deal, struck with the US, China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the EU, “the lifting of arms restrictions and the travel ban were designed to be automatic with no other action required”.

Donald Trump withdrew the US from the deal in 2018 and has unilaterally begun reimposing sanctions on Iran. But Washington suffered a setback in August when it failed to win support from the UN Security Council to indefinitely extend the arms embargo.

Despite pulling out of the deal, the Trump administration insists it is still a “participant” and can therefore go ahead with reimposing sanctions.

Washington has said it has decided to unilaterally reinstate virtually all the UN sanctions on Iran lifted under the accord. But the US legal argument has been rejected by almost the entire UN Security Council, with European allies of the US saying the priority is to salvage a peaceful ­solution to Iran’s nuclear program.

Moscow said last month it was ready to boost its military co-operation with Tehran, while Beijing has also spoken of its willingness to sell arms to Iran after the Sunday embargo expiry.

Washington maintained it would seek to prevent Iran from purchasing Chinese tanks and Russian air defence systems.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that Sunday marked the “normalisation of Iran’s co-operation with the world”.

AFP