US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posted a map on Twitter claiming that Europe and Asia could be in Iran’s crosshairs if it bought "highly lethal" fighters like Russia’s SU-30 and China’s J-10 once the arms ban expired on 18 October.
If the @UN Arms Embargo on Iran expires in October, Iran will be able to buy new fighter aircraft like Russia’s SU-30 and China’s J-10. With these highly lethal aircraft, Europe and Asia could be in Iran’s crosshairs. The U.S. will never let this happen. pic.twitter.com/OwV1gHFjrk
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 23, 2020
In turn, Zarif cited the map's legend that said that the given ranges — going as far as Germany and India — were maximum distances covered during a "one-way flight only". A jet's maximum range is the distance it can fly for the amount of fuel onboard.
"SecPompeo is so desperate to mislead the world that he claims come October, Iran will purchase fighter aircraft. And then send them off to the limits of their ONE-WAY ranges. Perhaps he could also say how they would fly back to Iran having exhausted their fuel", Zarif tweeted.
.@SecPompeo is so desperate to mislead the world that he claims come October, Iran will purchase fighter aircraft.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 23, 2020
And then send them off to the limits of their ONE-WAY ranges.
Perhaps he could also say how they would fly back to Iran having exhausted their fuel.#Shameless pic.twitter.com/t0vVL5y1lz
The UN arms embargo was to be lifted five years after the 2015 nuclear deal took effect, although Pompeo said the US would not let this happen. The Russian and Chinese foreign ministers said in separate letters to the UN chief that keeping sanctions on Iran past October was not part of the deal.
