Iran accused of violating UN embargo
Britain expresses "very serious concern" at suggestions Iran was caught illegally exporting weapons
United Nations: The United States accused Iran on Tuesday of violating a UN arms embargo by secretly sending weapons to Syria in a cargo ship seized by Israel, a US official said.
Britain took a softer line in the UN Security Council, expressing "very serious concern" at suggestions Iran was caught illegally exporting weapons but saying it was waiting for more information about the ship's origin, destination, cargo and seizure.
US deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff and British deputy ambassador Philip Parham raised the seizure of the cargo vessel Francop on Wednesday off Cyprus during a closed-door council debate on implementation of the 2006 cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon that ended their 34-day war, council diplomats said.
Israel has not provided documentary evidence to back claims that 36 containers of weapons hidden among hundreds of containers of civilian cargo on the Francop came from Iran and were headed for Lebanon's Hezbollah fighters via Syria.
But its contention was bolstered by Iranian markings on the side of containers filled with rockets, missiles, mortars, anti-tank weapons and munitions shown to reporters in Israel.
The United States told the council the concealed arms shipment, "clearly manifested from Iran to Syria" in violation of a March 2007 arms embargo, provides "unambiguous evidence of the destabilising proliferation of arms in the region," the US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the council meeting was private.
The United States also called on Syria and Iran to end their "material support" for Hezbollah and other groups in Lebanon, which violates the 2006 ceasefire resolution, the official said.
