UNITED NATIONS — The United States and three allies are calling for a Security Council meeting to respond to Iran’s recent ballistic missile tests which they say were carried out in defiance of a UN resolution.
A report from the US, France, Britain and Germany obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press calls the launches “destabilizing and provocative” and says the Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile and Qiam-1 short-range ballistic missile that were fired are “inherently capable of delivering nuclear weapons.”
A Security Council resolution adopted after the Iran nuclear deal was signed last year calls for Iran not to launch any ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon.
When the Iranian test-firings were raised in the council on March 14, Russia said the launches were not a violation, which makes council action unlikely.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday that Iran’s ballistic missile had caused “alarm” and it would be up to the major powers to decide whether fresh sanctions should be applied.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards conducted ballistic missile tests earlier this month, in what they said was a demonstration of Iran’s non-nuclear deterrent power.
Ban, speaking to reporters in Geneva on the sidelines of a conference on Syrian refugees, said: “Out of this agreement (with major powers), now Iranians have launched ballistic missiles. It is true that that has caused alarm and concern.
“But what kinds of sanctions, what kind of measures should be applied is up to the Security Council members,” he said.
Iran’s top leader on Wednesday said missiles were key to the country’s future, offering support to the hardline Revolutionary Guards that have drawn criticism from the West for testing ballistic missiles.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei supported last year’s nuclear deal with world powers but has since called for Iran to avoid further rapprochement with the United States and its allies, and maintain its economic and military strength.
“Those who say the future is in negotiations, not in missiles, are either ignorant or traitors,” Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, was quoted as saying by his website.
His comments may have been directed at former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the de facto leader of a more moderate political alliance, who last week tweeted “the future is in dialogue, not missiles”. — Agencies
