Baku, Azerbaijan, July 15
By Umid Niayesh, Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
A military expert says arm embargos on Iran have remained pretty much untouched by a comprehensive deal between Tehran and the group P5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany).
The arms embargo will remain for 5 years, while other military-related sanctions that are sanctions on missiles, will remain 8 years, Hossein Aryan, expert in military affairs told Trend July 15.
This means the larger part of the military-related sanctions will remain at least for 5 years, he concluded.
Iran and the group 5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) reached a comprehensive deal on the country's nuclear program July 14. Iran was demanding that the deal should remove all sanctions so far imposed on Iran.
Aryan pointed out that the issue of arms trade had been a key point in the final days leading up to the nuclear deal, noting that the US does not want Iran to challenge its forces in region.
Aryan further pointed out that shortly after the deal was announced, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said according to the agreement, arm trade with Iran would need UN Security Council approval.
"The issue here is that US, UK, and France are members of the Security Council and they will veto an agreement to trade arms with Iran," the expert said.
According to Aryan, the veto also covers S300 missiles.
Russia signed the contract in 2007 to sell Iran five S-300 ground-to-air missile systems. The $800-million contract to deliver S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran was cancelled in 2010 by then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, falling in line with the UN sanctions imposed on Iran due to its disputed nuclear program.
In turn, Tehran filed a currently pending $4-billion lawsuit against Russia in Geneva 's arbitration court. However, Russia President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to lift the ban over delivering a long-overdue missile system S-300 to Iran on April 13.
Edited by CN