Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi can certainly pat himself on the back for another diplomatic achievement. His German counterpart, Heiko Maas, agreed with him that an effort must be made to extend the United Nations arms embargo on Iran. Speaking with journalists Aug. 27, Ashkenazi said that an extension was needed to prevent Iran from getting "more advanced weapons systems and spreading them around the Middle East." He added, "We would like to see the European countries, not just Germany, preventing it. It's not helpful for the stability of the region."
Echoing Ashkenazi, Maas said, "We are trying to reach a diplomatic solution so that there will be an arms embargo on Iran in the future." Maas also said that concerns outside the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — such as the Iranian ballistic missile program and Iranian growing involvement in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq — need to be addressed. “Iran must change its approach in the region, we are not naive about Iran. We know that Iran plays a dangerous role,” Maas noted.
