Iran responds to US attempt to extend arms embargo

Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that the United States was "not in a position" to renew a United Nations arms embargo against the country.

The embargo is due to be lifted in October. Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for the foreign ministry, made the comment after a senior US official said the UN embargo must remain in place to prevent Iran from "becoming the arms dealer of choice for rogue regimes and terrorist organizations."

Mousavi said other UN security council members opposed the US position on the issue. He said Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif would address an online meeting of the security council on Tuesday. The U.N. arms embargo so far has stopped Iran from purchasing fighter jets, tanks, warships and other weaponry, but has failed to halt its smuggling of weapons into war zones.