Rice: Iran uncooperative
צילום: AP
UN says Iranian munitions ship violated resolution
Sanctions committee report says Cypriot-flagged ship en route to Syria violated Resolution 1737
A UN Security Council sanctions committee has determined that the Iranian ship detained in Cyprus in January violated Resolution 1737, which prohibits Iran from exporting weapons.
Britain, the US, and France criticized Iran following the committee's report published Tuesday. The ship, en route to Syria, is thought to have been headed to Gaza.
The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said it was clear Iran was not complying with the UN's demands. She cited a recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in which Iran's nuclear program is suspected to serve military aims.
France's ambassador to the UN, Jean Maurice Ripert, said Iran was refusing to cooperate with the UN in its requests to investigate suspect nuclear sites or to respond to diplomatic initiatives.
"The launching of the weapons' ship from Iran to Syria constitutes a major violation of UN sanctions," he said.
However Libya's ambassador to the UN criticized the council for debating Iran's nuclear program while disregarding the possibility that Israel may have such a weapon.
"This frustrates residents of the region who are trying to disarm the Middle East of nuclear weapons," said Ibrahim Dabbashi. China and Russia's representatives had no comments.
The Cypriot-flagged 'Monchegorsk' was detained and anchored off port of Limassol in Jan. 29, after the US military said it had found artillery shells and other arms aboard the ship after stopping it in the Red Sea.
