The United Nations ambassadors from the United States and the United Kingdom called on the U.N. to establish an investigation into an Iranian shipment of rockets and weapons that was headed for terrorist groups in Gaza before Israel seized the ship carrying the arms this month.
U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the U.N. Rosemary DiCarlo asked the U.N. Security Council committee that monitors sanctions on Iran to establish the probe.
“The committee should be prepared to impose real consequences, such as possible sanctions designations on those responsible,” DiCarlo said, the Associated Press reported.
British U.N. envoy Mark Lyall Grant echoed the U.S. position.
“This is not the first time that we have seen reports of potential arms transfers to Gaza involving Iran,” Lyall Grant said.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the Syrian-made weaponry on board the seized Iranian ship included 40 M-302 missiles, 181 22-millimeter mortar shells, and 400,000 7.62-millimeter bullets. The weapons were hidden inside cement containers onboard.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, Iran has denied its involvement in the arms shipment, accusing Israel of using the seizure to derail improving ties with the West.
“An Iranian ship carrying arms for Gaza. Captured just in time for annual AIPAC anti-Iran campaign. Amazing Coincidence! Or same failed lies,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter this month.
{Matzav.com Israel}
