Pompeo: U.S. will not let Iran buy weapons once ban expires

April 29 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said the United States will prevent Iran from buying conventional weapons once a United Nations embargo expires in October.

"We're not going to let that happen," he told reporters during a press availability in Washington, D.C.

The embargo against selling conventional weapons to Iran, set to expire on Oct. 23, is part of the 2015 multination accord aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapon capabilities in exchange for sanction relief.

In 2018, President Donald Trump pulled the United States from the deal, calling it "defective at its core" and reimposed sanctions against Iran -- a move that Iran retaliated against by restarting nuclear activities banned under the agreement with Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

China, Russia and other countries are believed to be waiting in the wings eager to sell Iran weapons barred under the embargo, a reality caused by the nuclear deal, Pompeo said, stating its failures "are legion. One of them is now upon us."

Pompeo said they are working with the United Nations Security Council and with the deal's three European signatories to extend all U.N sanctions under the deal.

He also argued since the United States is named in the deal it has the power to induce an extension, stating the agreement "is very clear."

"It's unambiguous and the rights that accrue to participants in the U.N. Security Council resolution are fully available to all those participants," He said. "We are going to make sure that come October of this year, the Iranians aren't able to buy conventional weapons."