According to Reuters, a confidential report on Iran sanctions-busting says Syria continues to receive Iranian arms shipments that violate a U.N. Security Council ban on weapons exports by Iran.
The new report, by a panel of experts on monitoring sanctions, submitted to the Security Council’s Iran sanctions committee, also details Iranians’ efforts to circumvent sanctions on their nuclear program, noting that the punitive measures imposed on Iran between 2006 and 2010 are having a limited effect.
“Sanctions are slowing Iran’s procurement of some critical items required for its prohibited nuclear program,” the report says. “At the same time prohibited activities continue, including uranium enrichment.”
The report details three large illegal shipments of Iranian weapons sent over the past year.
“Iran has continued to defy the international community through illegal arms shipments,” the report states. “Two of these cases involved (Syria), as were the majority of cases inspected by the Panel during its previous mandate, underscoring that Syria continues to be the central party to illicit Iranian arms transfers.”
The third shipment included rockets that were eventually delivered to the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
“The Panel recommends the designation (for blacklisting) of two entities related to these interdictions,” the report says. “The report also takes note of information concerning arms shipments by Iran to other destinations.”