The Security Council Votes on Draft 'Violation' of Yemen Sanctions by Iran

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Monday, March 26, on separate draft resolutions from Russia and Britain regarding Yemen. The British draft accuses Iran of violating Yemen's arms embargo, while the Russian draft does not mention Iran. According to reports from AFP, the British draft calls for 'further action' regarding Iran's 'violation' of Yemen sanctions. However, the Russian draft, presented to the Security Council on Saturday, extends Yemen sanctions until February 2019 and makes no reference to the UN report about Iran's 'violations' and potential actions against Tehran. Diplomats suggest that Russia may veto the British proposal to push its own draft to a vote. A group of UN experts has concluded that Iran violated the 2015 arms embargo by sending missiles to the Houthis in Yemen, a claim Iran has denied. The US and Saudi Arabia had previously accused Iran of supplying missiles to the Houthis. Britain, backed by the US and France, had previously called for a condemnation of Iran, which was removed during negotiations. Russia argues that the findings cited by the UN experts do not provide sufficient evidence that Iran sent missiles to the Houthis. The latest British draft expresses 'particular concern' over the supply of 'weapons originating from Iran to Yemen after the imposition of the arms embargo' and states that Iran has not complied with Security Council resolutions. The British draft indicates the Security Council's intention to 'take further actions regarding these violations.' Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's ambassador to the UN, stated on Wednesday that the Security Council should focus on Yemen sanctions rather than addressing Iran. The UN report notes that while Iran has failed to stop arms shipments to Yemen, the experts have been unable to identify the source of these weapons. Earlier, Nikki Haley, the US representative to the UN, displayed a missile at the Pentagon that she claimed the Houthis had fired at Riyadh. Iran denied this accusation, questioning why a missile that was destroyed by Patriot missiles was displayed almost intact. The US and Britain support the Saudi coalition in the Yemen war, while Iran backs the Houthis in this conflict.