DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s UN ambassador called for an extension of the arms embargo on Iran in a session on Thursday, Saudi press agency reported.

“Iran smuggles weapons to militias which destabilize regional peace,” Abdul Aziz Al-Wasel said during a conference held in Geneva.

Al-Wasel called for an extension of arms embargo on Iran, which is due to expire on October 18, and said allowing the Islamic Republic to buy weapons will increase their hostile activities in the region.

The ambassador stressed the Kingdom’s support for international measures to halt Iran’s activities that cause instability in the Middle East.

Lifting the international ban on Iran, he noted, will lead to more “destruction and devastation” and create conflicts in the region.

“The international community will, in the coming hours, have a crucial and important date that will determine a new future for the people of the region,” he said. “There are two paths: either to maintain or protect international peace and security, or to give the Iranian regime an opportunity to commit more crimes and violations against the people of the region.”

The ambassador stated that arms smuggling to militant groups was still an issue in the region, where missiles and other weapons are used to target civilians and civilian infrastructure. These attacks also harm the global economy by threatening waterways and targeting oil installations in the region, which is the backbone of the international economy, he added.

Al-Wasel referenced the outcome of a UN Security Council report that was presented on June 30, confirming direct involvement of the Iranian regime attacks that targeted oil installations in Abqaiq and Khurais, eastern Saudi Arabia, in 2019 as well as the targeting of Abha International Airport with cruise missiles and unmanned drones.

He said the report left no room for doubt about Iran’s hostile intentions towards Saudi Arabia, the Arab region and the world.

The current Iranian regime, Al-Wasel added, continues to finance armed militias in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon without regard to international charters and treaties.