Pompeo Warns of ‘New Turmoil’ If UN Arms Embargo on Iran Expires

In new comments at the UN Security Council, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for increased international cooperation against Iran, and warned against the UN allowing the existing arms embargo and travel bans against Iran to expire.

Pompeo says that the expiration would leave Iran “unshackled to create new turmoil.” The measures are scheduled to expire in October of 2020. It’s not surprising that the US wants to extend them, but it’s not clear that the rest of the Security Council will support the effort.

Pompeo’s attempt to scare the rest of the council into renewing the measures probably isn’t going to be an easy sell, particularly with nations like Russia and China willing to trade with Iran, and that trade potentially including arms in the future.

Moreover, despite Pompeo’s rhetoric, Iran hasn’t been engaged in an offensive war in generations, so it’s not clear why they should be banned from buying defensive arms, beyond the US just not wanting them to have any.