UNSC rejects US proposal to extend Iran arms embargo

The US suffered an embarrassing diplomatic defeat on Friday when the UN security council rejected a proposal to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Iran, with the Trump administration getting support from only the Dominican Republic. The defeat underscored America’s deepening global isolation on the issue of Iran. Russia and China voted against the proposal in the 15-member council, while 11 members abstained, including France, Germany and UK.
But for the Trump administration, the vote could open a separate path to try to inflict maximum damage on Iran ahead of US polls. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo suggested the US would invoke the “snap back” mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal that would restore all UN sanctions on Iran. He said the rejection of the bid was a “serious mistake”. Iran hailed the vote, saying US has “never been so isolated”. President Rouhani said the US had failed to kill off the 2015 deal “with humiliation”.
US inks deal for troop move from Germany to Poland
Poland and the US signed a defence deal that will result in 1,000 additional US troops being sent to the country on a rotational basis. The deal follows the US’s decision to withdraw 12,000 troops from Germany.