Iran, North Korea cause trouble for U.N. arms trade treaty

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran and North Korea on Friday objected to the adoption of the first international treaty to regulate the $70 billion (46 billion pounds) global conventional arms trade, complaining that it fails to ban weapons sales to rebel groups.

Peter Woolcott of Australia, the president of the U.N. Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, adjourned the final session of the 10-day meeting to hold last-minute consultations with the Iranian and North Korean delegates in an attempt to persuade them to join the consensus needed to approve the draft treaty.