The United States continues to stand with its allies in the Middle East, declared U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz at the UN General Assembly. “Unfortunately, Russia and China have chosen to oppose them, even as Iranian missiles rained down on Gulf cities and civilian infrastructure,” he added.
Russia and China voted to veto a draft resolution earlier this month that sought to protect freedom of navigation and maritime security in and around the Strait of Hormuz. “They deliberately chose to turn a blind eye - and worse, chose to permit - Iran’s attacks on its neighbors, its terror against its own people, and its death grip that it’s attempting to place on the global economy,” said Ambassador Waltz.
He went on to characterize the nature of the Iranian regime, noting it recruits child soldiers, uses civilian infrastructure for attacks, and goads its proxies to use human shields on a regular basis. “We are talking about a regime in Iran that promised no more executions and yet has averaged at least one execution per day of young protesters who simply yearn for freedom and a better life. This was after killing 40,000 of its own people in a weekend,” said Ambassador Waltz.
In March, the Security Council adopted a resolution with 136 co-sponsors which condemned in the strongest terms missile and drone attacks carried out by Iran. The text demanded “the immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan".
Yet instead of respecting the will of the overwhelming majority of the United Nations, “Russia has chosen to remain a critical supplier of military equipment to Iran, delivering combat aircraft, helicopters, armored vehicles, and other arms, many of which violate Security Council Resolution 1929, which bans arms transfers to Iran,” noted Ambassador Waltz.
“Iran, likewise, has supplied Russia with hundreds of attack drones and technology for its use in Ukraine. Meanwhile, China has for years imported over 90 percent of Iran’s illicit oil,” he added.
Russia and China persist in their efforts to obstruct the renewed UN arms embargo against Iran, which bans the transfer and trade of missile technology, and freezes relevant financial assets - measures designed to address the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear, missile, and conventional arms programs.
It is time to choose, said Ambassador Waltz. And the United States chooses to stand with its Middle East allies. Moreover, the U.S. supports the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. It is “too vital to be choked, to be mined, to be weaponized and held hostage by the likes of the Iranian regime,” he added.
The United State will continue to ensure that food aid, fertilizer, energy, and commercial goods can flow once again through the Strait of Hormuz free from attack, threats, mining, or extortion.