Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers Overnight Defense: House Democrats unveil stopgap spending measure to GOP opposition | Bill includes .6B for new subs | Trump issues Iran sanctions after world shrugs at US action at UN Navalny calls on Russia to return clothes he was wearing when he fell ill MORE plans to invoke a provision in the Iran nuclear agreement, which the Trump administration pulled out of in 2018, in an effort to either extend an arms embargo on Iran or reimpose even harsher United Nations (UN) sanctions, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

The secretary reportedly plans to take that route should the UN Security Council (UNSC) decline to reimpose an arms embargo against Tehran when an existing embargo expires later this year. An extension of the arms embargo is expected to be opposed by Russia.

A request for comment from the State Department from The Hill was not immediately returned. The Trump administration has pursued a campaign of maximum economic pressure against Iran, withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement in favor of reimposing previously-withdrawn sanctions against Iran and pushing for European allies to do the same.

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Should the UNSC fail to reimpose the arms embargo, the Trump administration's move to invoke the 2015 deal would likely be opposed by many of the U.S.'s European allies, the Times reported, in part due simply to the fact that President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE withdrew the U.S. from the Iran deal in 2018.

“We cannot allow the Islamic Republic of Iran to purchase conventional weapons in six months. President Obama should never have agreed to end the U.N. arms embargo," Pompeo said in a statement to the Times.

“We are prepared to exercise all of our diplomatic options to ensure the arms embargo stays in place at the U.N. Security Council,” he added.