Iran says UN’s Yemen vote “another defeat for US”

TEHRAN (AFP): The adoption of a Russian drafted resolution on a technical rollover of the Yemen sanctions regime on Monday was “another defeat” for the United States, an Iranian deputy foreign minister said here on Tuesday.

On Monday, a UK drafted text was blocked by Russia in the UN Security Council.

The text contained language of Iranian “non-compliance” with the UN sanctions regime against individuals and entities deemed to be engaging in or providing support for acts that threaten the peace, security or stability of Yemen.

The failure of the UK drafted text to gain vote was another defeat for the United States in the past year, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi said. “That was also the sign of US isolation,” Araqchi added.

Besides, Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo said Tuesday that the UK drafted text aimed to cover up Saudi Arabia’s crimes in Yemen.

Khoshroo rejected the allegations that the Islamic republic has violated arms embargoes to the Shiite Houthi militants in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia is leading a mostly Arab military coalition to fight Iran backed Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 2015.

Houthis have been controlling much of Yemen’s north by force, including the capital Sanaa since 2014.

The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced over 3 million, according to humanitarian agencies.