JERUSALEM, June 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook on Tuesday urged the international community to extend a Untied Nations arms embargo on the Islamic republic.
"In four short months Iran will be able to freely import fighter jets, attack helicopters, submarines, large-caliber artillery systems, and missiles of certain ranges," Hook said during joint remarks alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the PM's office in Jerusalem.
Hook added that Iran will then could export these weapons and technologies to its proxies, including Hezbollah, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Shia militia groups in Iraq and Syria, militant networks in Bahrain, and the Houthis in Yemen.
"The last thing that this region needs is more Iranian weapons," he said, calling on the UN Security Council to continue the embargo.
Hook said that also Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, which he visited before arriving in Israel, are worried over the expiration of the embargo.
He added that the U.S. and Israel are working together to "ensure in one way or the another that the arms embargo will not expire."
Netanyahu called for more sanctions against Iran. "I believe it's time to implement snapback sanctions," he said. "I don't think we can afford to wait. We should not wait for Iran to start its breakout to a nuclear weapon, because then it will be too late for sanctions."
Israel considers Iran its arch-foe. Enditem
