US State Dept. Says Russia and China Have No Reason to Vote Against Prolonging Iran Arms Embargo

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Russia and China have no reason to vote against the prolongation of the arms embargo on Iran, US Special Representative for Iran, and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State Brian Hook said.

"Russia and China have great equities in a peaceful and stable the Middle East, and Iran’s sectarian violence and its export of weapons is the principal driver of instability in the Middle East today. And because they voted on it in the past, there’s no reason why it can’t be voted on again", Hook told reporters on late Thursday.

The United Nations Security Council votes on a new sanctions resolution that would increase economic pressure on North Korea to return to negotiations on its missile program, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017 at U.N. headquarters

© AP Photo / Mary Altaffer

On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Sputnik that the United Nations' arms embargo against Iran would expire in October and could not be extended beyond that date.

The news comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was reportedly planning to force an extension of an arms embargo against the Islamic Republic or re-impose harsher sanctions if the UN Security Council declines to extend the restrictions against Tehran.