US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook has stressed that Tehran authorities pose a threat not only to countries in the Gulf region, but also to their people.

In an interview with Asharq Al Awsat, Hook, also a senior adviser to the US Secretary of State, said Iran supports terrorists and rebels in Yemen, the Gulf, Lebanon and Israel.

Hook added he held talks in Tunisia - a non-permanent member of the Security Council since the beginning of this year - as part of a tour that will include Gulf and European countries regarding the extension of the Security Council arms embargo imposed on Iran 13 years ago, which ends on October 18.

Concerning arms embargo on Iran, Hook said “we have a project that we seek to endorse by all member states of the Security Council, whether they are permanent members or not. It is important to extend those sanctions that began 13 years ago, because the current decision will expire on October 18,” he said.

Rejection

Hook explained, “Failure to extend this resolution will mean more dangers for all peoples of the region and its countries and for our friends in the Gulf and in the world. It would mean more arms exports from Iran to Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, and more Iranian weapons to Hezbollah, Hamas, and others. We reject this altogether and in detail, and we consider that it is in the interest of peoples of the region and its countries to support development efforts and improve the conditions of peoples and eliminate the deep causes of extremism and terrorism, including poverty, tyranny and the absence of a rational government.”

On accusation of US administration’s imposition of sanctions on people and not on the regimes, Hook said this is what the Iranian authorities are promoting, but the reality is different. “We have noticed since last November, demonstrations against the Iranian authorities because of their internal policies and the hundreds of billions of dollars they have wasted over 41 years in armaments and wars, instead of spending them on development, economic, social and educational reform programmes and improving people’s living conditions,” Hook said.