Iran Press/America: The embargo is set to end mid-October under Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration quit in 2018.
The 15-member council has been operating virtually amid the coronavirus pandemic so states have 24 hours to cast a vote.
To be adopted a resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain, or France.
“The voting will be in the next handful of hours and we are hoping that we will be successful. When we see the results, we will make the decision about how to move forward,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday, according to Reuters.
Visiting Austria as part of a tour of central Europe, Pompeo said the United States will do everything in its power to renew the international arms embargo on Iran under review at the United Nations.
Pompeo said Washington would “do everything that we can within our diplomatic toolset to ensure that arms embargo doesn’t expire.”
“We have been unambiguous about the fact we have no intention of allowing this arms embargo to expire. None whatsoever.”
The Trump administration has backed away from a hardline resolution on Iran that risked alienating UN Security Council allies, and will instead present a “clean” version to extend an arms embargo due to expire in October.
Despite the changes, Security Council members are still expected to reject the effort, which will aim to extend an arms embargo on Iran indefinitely due to end on October 18, when it is set to expire under the terms of a landmark nuclear deal agreed in 2015 with Tehran.
Iran's Mission to the United Nations on Aug 14, described the US proposed resolution to extend Iran's arms embargo as part of its domestic policy, calling on members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to stand firm against US illegal and malicious action.
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