US officials warn: Iran will become terrorist's "preferred arms dealer"

US officials warn: Iran will become terrorist's "preferred arms dealer.

US officials warn

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June 29, 2020 06:58

Schwartz

Profile photo: U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Hook.

Profile photo: U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Hook.

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A senior U.S. official said that if the UN arms embargo is allowed to expire, Iran will become the terrorist’s “preferred arms dealer”.

The U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, spoke to the Associated Press during his visit to the United Arab Emirates.

The United Nations imposed the current arms embargo on Iran in 2010 and will expire in October. Hook said that if the embargo is extended, the world should ignore Iran’s threat of retaliation.

The UN arms embargo has prevented Iran from publicly buying fighter jets, tanks, warships and other weapons. But it did not prevent Iran from smuggling weapons into war zones such as Yemen. Iran supports the Houthi rebels.

Iran denies providing weapons to rebels. But Hook said that if the embargo expires, Iran may no longer use suspected smuggling as a strategy.

The US Defense Intelligence Agency predicted last year that if permitted, Iran would attempt to purchase Russian fighter jets, tanks, and air defense missile systems.

But US economic sanctions on Iranian oil sales almost destroyed the Iranian economy.

When a reporter asked Hook Iran how to pay for such expensive equipment, he said that a sharp decline in Iranian income was "a good thing in the region." He added that this also complicated Iran's efforts to support Syria's Bashar al-Assad and other allies.

Iran has not yet commented on Hook’s remarks. But Iranian President Rouhani said on Sunday that 2020 was the "most difficult year" for Iran due to US economic sanctions and the outbreak of coronavirus.