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Iran Wants UN Arms Embargo Lifted
(Wall Street Journal) Jay Solomon - Iran is pushing for a UN arms embargo to be completely lifted in the wake of an emerging nuclear agreement, a senior Iranian diplomat said Monday. U.S. officials have said a new UN Security Council resolution must be drafted as part of any final agreement to lift sanctions, but that the resolution must maintain elements of the arms embargo and other restrictions. Current resolutions ban Iran from producing nuclear fuel, mining uranium, and developing ballistic missiles that could be used to carry an atomic bomb. Iran is also under a broader UN arms embargo that seeks to prevent it from aiding and arming political and military allies in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and the Palestinian territories. The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), sharply criticized Iran's calls for a lifting of the arms embargo and the curbs on its missile program. He noted, "With tens of billions of sanctions-relief cash likely coming, Iran now wants free rein to arm Hizbullah terrorists, assist Assad in Syria, and aid Houthi rebels in Yemen."