U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned the U.N. Security Council Wednesday of the dangers of ignoring Iran’s violations of Security Council resolutions. She said Iran was “playing” the council and listed some of Iran’s more prominent violations.
"The regime continues to play this council," Haley said. "Iran hides behind its assertion of technical compliance with the nuclear deal while it brazenly violates the other limits of its behavior, and we have allowed them to get away with it."
She added that the U.S. has “now embarked on a course that attempts to address all aspects of Iran’s destructive conduct, not just one aspect,” and called it “critical” that the international community do the same.
Haley listed what she called the “highlights” of the Iranian regime’s violations of Security Council resolutions.
She referenced Resolution 2231 which bans the transfer of conventional weapons from Iran, saying “today we see Iran identified as a source of weapons in conflicts across the region, from Yemen to Syria and Lebanon. The United States, France, Australia, Ukraine, and others have intercepted Iranian shipments of rocket-propelled grenade launchers, machine guns, and anti-tank missiles, among other weapons, that are bound for Yemen.”
“The Iranian regime has been a key source of arms and strategic military support to the Houthi rebels, both directly, through its military, and indirectly, through its Hizballah proxy forces,” she continued. “Not only is this a violation of Resolution 2231, it also violates Resolution 2216, which imposes an arms embargo on the Houthi rebels. Iran has repeatedly and brazenly violated not one but two UN Security Council resolutions in Yemen. And yet few on this Council have said anything at all.”
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She cited resolutions calling on Hizballah to disarm, saying “nonetheless, Hizballah is building an arsenal of war in Lebanon with weapons supplied by Iran. Again, none of this is going on in secret. The leader of Hizballah talks openly about the support Iran provides.”
In addition to other violations, Haley emphasized that “the Iranian regime abuses its own people. It imprisons or murders political opposition. It persecutes Christians and other religious minorities. It denies freedom of speech. It executes gays and lesbians.”
“Where’s the outrage of this council?” she asked. “The United States will not turn a blind eye to these violations.”
"Judging Iran by the narrow confines of the nuclear deal misses the true nature of the threat," Haley warned. "Iran must be judged in totality of its aggressive, destabilizing and unlawful behavior. To do otherwise would be foolish."
Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo told the Security Council that if Iran “had hegemonic ambitions the nuclear deal would never have been reached. The new U.S. administration approach and the recent dangerous strategy toward the deal and Iran runs counter to the will of the international community.”
He also said that "we are not going to waste our time on answering the rants of the brute nature" by Haley.
President Trump announced on Friday that he will not re-certify the Obama-era Iran nuclear agreement but left time for Congress to renegotiate the deal.
"In the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated," Trump said.
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