China, Russia likely to veto US bid to extend arms embargo on Iran, US envoy to UN says
- ‘Everyone is going to know this is a choice between tyranny and freedom,’ US ambassador to UN Kelly Craft says
- US circulated a resolution to UN Security Council members last month to continue the embargo, but has little faith it can convince Russia and China, she says
Although the US circulated a resolution to Security Council members last month to continue the embargo, Craft said on Tuesday the US had little faith it could bring Russia and China around. That could spell a crisis at the UN, with Craft and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo threatening to invoke a “snapback” provision in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal to reimpose all UN sanctions against Tehran.
“The strategy in a perfect world will always be to have them abstain and obviously not veto,” the US resolution, Craft said at the annual Aspen Security Forum held online.
“However, let’s be realistic here. Right now the strategy is working with other members of the Security Council” to put China and Russia “in a corner and shine a light on them”.
“Everyone is going to know this is a choice between tyranny and freedom,” she said.
