Iraq deal to buy arms from Iran looks like a violation of UN arms embargo

Fox News:

The State Department raised "serious" concerns Monday following a report that claimed Iraq has struck a $195 million arms and ammunition deal with Iran, in possible violation of a U.N. embargo.

Reuters reported Monday afternoon that documents reviewed by the news service show the two countries reached the agreement in November, shortly after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki pressed the Obama administration for more weapons during a visit to Washington.

Iraqi lawmakers reportedly claimed Maliki ended up striking the deal with Iran because he did not want to keep waiting for U.S. arms deliveries.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki disputed any notion that the U.S. has slow-walked weapons deliveries, and said the U.S. is seeking "clarification" from Iraq. "I think the proof of our efforts is in the pudding there, in all of the steps we've taken to move forward, whether it's small ammunitions or a number of the items of military equipment I've mentioned, and that tells you how committed we are to our partnership," Psaki said.

She could not comment on the accuracy of the Reuters report of an Iran deal but said that "if true, this would raise serious concerns."

Psaki stressed that any sale of arms by Iran to another country would break a U.N. embargo.
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Maliki may be naive enough to have blundered into a violation of the UN embargo.  He clearly is not very smart in his dealings both domestic and foreign.  He got himself in this box by failing to reach a deal to keep US troops in Iraq.  He may wind up not getting arms from anyone.