*UNITED NATIONS/TEGUCIGALPA: The United States threatened unilateral actionagainst Iran on Monday after Russia vetoed a western bid for the UnitedNations Security Council to call out Tehran for failing to prevent itsweapons from falling into the hands of Yemen’s Houthi group.*

“If Russia is going to continue to cover for Iran then the U.S. and ourpartners need to take action on our own. If we’re not going to get actionon the council then we have to take our own actions,” U.S. Ambassador tothe U.N. Nikki Haley told reporters during a visit to Honduran capitalTegucigalpa.

Haley did not specify what kind of action could be taken.

The Russian veto was a defeat for the United States, which has beenlobbying for months for Iran to be held accountable at the United Nations,while at the same time threatening to quit a 2015 deal among world powersto curb Iran’s nuclear program if “disastrous flaws” are not fixed.

“Obviously this vote isn’t going to make the decision on the nuclear deal.What I can say is it doesn’t help,” Haley said. “That just validated a lotof what we already thought which is Iran gets a pass for its dangerous andillegal behavior.”

President Donald Trump warned European allies last month that they had tocommit by mid-May to work with Washington to improve the pact. Britaindrafted the failed U.N. resolution in consultation with the United Statesand France.

The initial draft text – to renew the annual mandate of a targetedsanctions regime related to Yemen – wanted to include a condemnation ofIran for violating an arms embargo on Houthi leaders and include a councilcommitment to take action over it.

*‘NO ILLUSIONS’*

In a bid to win Moscow’s support, the draft that was vetoed had beenweakened to simply “note with particular concern” the violation, which wasreported to the council by U.N. experts monitoring sanctions. It received11 votes in favor, two against – Russia and Bolivia – while China andKazakhstan abstained.

Russia has questioned the findings of the U.N. experts report, which wassubmitted to the council in January.

A council resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia,China, the United States, France or Britain to pass. Following the failedvote on the British draft, the council adopted a rival Russian draft thatdid not mention Iran and simply renewed the U.N. sanctions regime on Yemenfor a year.

A senior Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledgedthat the international community – and in particular, the Europeans –needed to do more to voice their concerns about Iran’s behavior.

“We don’t have any illusions with regard to Iran’s policy towards Israel,Iran’s role in the region … and also what they do in terms of constructingballistic missiles,” the diplomat said. “What we’re trying, and have to do… is to actually make these points even clearer than in the past.”

A proxy war is playing out in Yemen between Iran and U.S. ally SaudiArabia. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backinggovernment forces fighting Iran-allied Houthi rebels. Iran has deniedsupplying the Houthis weapons.

After the Security Council voted on Monday, Iran’s mission to the UnitedNations accused the United States and Britain of misusing the council “toadvance their political agenda and put the blame of all that happens inYemen on Iran.” – Agencies