China accuses US of ‘peddling arms’ after sanctions threat as Iran arms embargo ends

Beijing on Monday accused the United States of “interfering” in other countries’ affairs after Washington intimidated sanctions against any nation taking advantage of the end of a United Nations’ ban to sell weapons to Iran.

China’s foreign ministry on Monday said that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s remarks were “utterly unjustifiable.” Notably, Pompeo warned against anyone supplying arms to the Islamic republic after Tehran said a longstanding UN ban against such deals had expired. 

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“It is the US that peddles arms and ammunition everywhere, uses military trade to serve geopolitical interests, and even openly interferes in the internal affairs of other countries,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters. 

Asked if China would now sell arms to Iran, Zhao did not directly address the issue but said Beijing would “handle military trade in accordance with its military export policy and its international obligations”.

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Tehran, which can now buy weapons from Russia, China and other countries, has praised the expiration as a diplomatic victory over its arch-enemy the United States, which had tried to maintain an indefinite freeze on arms sales.

Being Iran’s primary trading partner, China has long accused the US of exacerbating tensions over Iran’s weapons programme by pulling out of the deal. Notably, Iran’s foreign minister travelled to Beijing this month to hold talks about defence and trade between the two countries.