Ashkenazi: Russia should respect Iran arms embargo
“We must continue implementing the arms embargo and prevent Iran from undermining stability in the Middle East."
By LAHAV HARKOVForeign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Athens on October, 26, 2020.(photo credit: FOREIGN MINISTRY)Russia must continue the UN arms embargo on Iran, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Athens on Monday.“We must continue implementing the arms embargo and prevent Iran from undermining stability in the Middle East,” Ashkenazi said.Most of the UN Security Council, including Russia, views the UN arms embargo on Iran as having expired last Sunday. However, in August, the US activated “snapback sanctions,” a mechanism in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that would cancel its “sunset clauses,” meaning that the embargo would continue.Since the US left the Iran deal in 2018, the other parties to the agreement say the US does not have the authority to reinstate sanctions, and therefore, they view the embargo as no longer in place. However, the US argues that sanctions and the snapback are part of UN Security Council Resolution 2331, which lists the US specifically as a party, and not just the Iran deal.Ashkenazi and Lavrov also discussed Syria, with the former saying “Israel will not allow Iranian military entrenchment in Syria.”Israel coordinates its actions in Syria with Russia, which maintains a significant military presence there. The IDF regularly stops Iranian arms convoys and bombs Iranian bases in Syria.“Israel appreciates the conversation and coordination with the Russian government to prevent Iranian entrenchment in Syria,” Ashkenazi said. “We must continue to act with determination to prevent weapons and precise missiles from reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon, which acts in civilian areas and uses civilians as hostages in their international terrorist activities.”The Israeli foreign minister also spoke about Israel’s recent peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates, and normalization with Bahrain and Sudan.Lavrov and Ashkenazi’s meeting in Moscow was their first, after two previous phone calls.Ashkenazi also met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Athens.“The partnership between Israel and Greece is a basis for protecting stability and growth in the Mediterranean region,” Ashkenazi said. “We should continue to act to promote economic initiatives and strengthen cooperation in the areas of infrastructure, energy, health and mutual aid in emergencies.”Ashkenazi also thanked Mitsotakis for Greece being willing to allow tens of thousands of Israeli tourists in during the coronavirus crisis, and expressed hope that this will continue, while the countries continue fighting the pandemic.The foreign minister also plans to meet with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides during the trip to Athens.Israel has developed especially close ties with Greece and Cyprus in recent years in light of natural-gas findings and development.The major joint Israeli, Greek and Cypriot project is the EastMed gas pipeline from Israeli waters to the European mainland via Cyprus and Crete. The offshore and onshore pipeline is meant to be 1,900 km. long, making it the longest in the world.Tensions between Greece and Cyprus and Turkey likely came up in the meeting, as the countries are in an ongoing dispute with Ankara over its navy’s encroachment into their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) in the Mediterranean Sea and Turkey reopening a resort in the buffer zone between Cyprus and Northern Cyprus, among other issues.Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis was also in Athens on Monday, where he met with Greek Minister of Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis.The two announced the establishment of a regularly-held joint Greek-Israeli economic conference meant to promote regional economic ventures and investments. The first would take place in Jerusalem in March 2021, subject to health restrictions, followed by one in Athens.The UAE, Bahrain and Cyprus would also take part in the conference.
