Iran not to join West Asia arms race: Mission in EU

Tehran, Oct 21, IRNA – Iranian Diplomatic Mission in the European Union in a message referred to the arms race in the West Asia which it said is destroying the region by American weapons and stressed that Iran does not intend to join the arms race. “Iran does NOT intend to join the arms race […]

Tehran, Oct 21, IRNA – Iranian Diplomatic Mission in the European Union in a message referred to the arms race in the West Asia which it said is destroying the region by American weapons and stressed that Iran does not intend to join the arms race.

“Iran does NOT intend to join the arms race in West Asia which has stashed the region with American ‘beautiful weapons’”, Iranian mission wrote in its Twitter account on Wednesday.

“It is a bitter irony though that a country that spends billions of dollars on weapons tramps around and sheds crocodile tears over the termination of UN arms restriction on 18 October,” the message read.

“In fact, Saudi Arabia is among the 5 largest military spenders in the world and has its hands soaked in innocent Yemeni blood. The enormous Saudi military expenditure in West Asia has turned the region into an arsenal ready to blow up,” it added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed that Iran does not intend to engage in an arms race in the region and to start a buying spree in spite of the end of Security Council restrictions.

“We can choose to remain prisoners of the past and perpetuate instability and tension,” he said.

“Or, all of us can choose peace, security, stability and prosperity for all. The choice should be obvious to all.” My UNSC speech on Persian Gulf situation,” he added.

Iranian Foreign Ministry released a statement on October 18 about the termination of the UNSC arms restrictions and travel ban, saying the definitive and unconditional termination of arms restrictions and travel bans requires no new resolution.

“In one of the JCPOA’s innovations, the definitive and unconditional termination of arms restrictions and travel bans requires no new resolution, nor does it require any statement or any other measure by the Security Council,” the statement reiterated.