Iran bets on the sale and not the purchase of arms after the end of the UN embargo

On Monday, Iran's defence minister, Amir Hatami, stated that numerous foreign officials had approached Tehran to buy its weapons or sell it military equipment.

"The basis for the sale of weapons has been prepared and we have a plan for that," he said according to the Iranian news agency. "Over the past year, the Americans have been trying to prevent this, but many countries have approached us, and we have spoken to many countries, and the bases have been prepared to sell and secure supplies of some of our needs.

Iran confirmed that it will tend to sell more weapons than to buy them, after announcing the end of the period of the international embargo imposed on it by the agreement on its nuclear programme and a UN Security Council resolution, at a time when military experts are strongly suggesting that Tehran now has a sophisticated military complex that enables it to become one of the exporters of weapons to the world market.

"Before we become buyers in the arms market, Iran has the capacity to supply it" to other countries, said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh at his weekly press conference.

China, a member of the United Nations Security Council, has shown its support for Tehran in ending the arms embargo. "According to UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the arms embargo and the Security Council travel restrictions against Iran expired on 18 October, marking the completion of the first phase of implementation of the Resolution," said Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, at his regular press conference.

"This is an important moment in the process of implementing the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA), which reflects the common position of the international community on the defence of multilateralism, the authority of the Security Council, the existing results of the Iranian nuclear problem and the effectiveness of the JCPOA," he added.

"China will work with all parties to (...) advance the political and diplomatic solution of the Iranian nuclear issue and safeguard the international non-proliferation system and the peace and stability of the Middle East and the Gulf region," the Chinese diplomat said.

As of this date (18 October 2020) and in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2231, states are no longer obliged to seek in advance case-by-case Security Council approval to engage in the activities described in paragraphs 5 and 6 of Annex B of resolution 2231, which includes the supply, sale or transfer of arms or related materiel to and from Iran, the Permanent Mission of Iran to the United Nations said in a statement on Sunday.

Russia has also shown its commitment to continue trade cooperation with the Islamic Republic in a Twitter message. Dimitry Polyanskiy, a diplomat who is part of Russia's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, criticized the United States for its misguided approach.

"Wrong approach again. The United States playing a role of 'global policeman', replacing the UN Security Council is an unwanted role. We are doing and will do business with #Iran and it is not up to us to tell us or others what they can or may ' Stop humiliating the United States in this senseless effort," wrote the Russian official.

Polyanskiy posted the tweet in response to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who recently said through a Twitter post that UN Security Council sanctions against Iran have returned.

Two days ago, Polyanskiy tweeted: "Everybody expects that the USA, Mr. Secretary of State, contributes to the peaceful ME by stopping to provoke #Iran and pump the region with weapons. And please change the words 'sanctions' and 'punishment' in your vocabulary to 'Dialogue' and 'engagement'. That would help a lot! To make the USA respected again".

This week Iranian President Hassan Rohani congratulated the population on the lifting of the "oppressive embargo" on conventional weapons, imposed in 2007 by the UN Security Council, on 18 October and "despite four years of efforts by the United States" to prevent it.

In declarations to the Efe agency, the influential Major General Yahia Rahim Safaví, military adviser to the supreme leader and former commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guard, stressed that they have managed to have "the technological capacity and all the weapons and equipment to defend not only Iranian territory but also to reach the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Caspian Sea".