Europe shudders as Iran prepares for lifting ban on arms supplies

Islam Mohamed

There are growing international fears from Iran’s expected arming of terrorist movements, with a five-year ban on traditional arms supplies to the Islamic Republic, in the light of the nuclear deal with world powers, preparing to end.

On November 11, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the ban on arms supplies on Iran would be lifted next year.

When the US pulled out of the nuclear deal in May 2019, Rouhani said, Iran had three choices.

It could pull out of the deal, abide by it at all costs, or take a middle ground, he said.

He added that his country had gone for the third option. Rouhani added that the United Nations Security Council Resolution no. 2231 opens the door for lifting the ban on arms supplies to Iran by next year.

The official Iranian news agency, IRNA, quoted Rouhani as referring to the political gains his country would make after the lifting of the ban.

Five years ago, Rouhani said, Iran had five types of centrifuges only.

Now, however, it has 15 types of centrifuges, he added.

Pompeo tweeting

United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said on November 11 that Iran would not enjoy the benefits of the lifting of the ban if the UN Security Council had moved to extend this ban.

“Rouhani’s best pitch for IRAN staying in the disastrous Iran deal is that it lets the Islamic kleptocrats that lead that country buy and sell drones, missiles, tanks, jets, and more,” Pompeo said. “He will get his wish, unless UNSC extends the arms embargo before it expires 10/18/20,” he wrote on Twitter.

European reply

France, the UK and Germany said in a joint statement on November 11 that Europe would mull the dispute settlement mechanism included in the nuclear deal with Iran.

They added that the mechanism allows Europe to submit a complaint against Tehran at the United Nations Security Council.

This will open the door for re-imposing sanctions on Iran because of its violations of the deal, the three states added.

Iranian threats

Iranian affairs specialist, Mohamed Alaa, said the US Department of State leads a campaign to warn the international community against lifting the arms ban on Iran.

“Iran will be able to maintain its role of destabilizing states after the lifting of this ban,” he told The Reference.