Iran’s FM Deplores US State Secretary’s Remarks at UN

TEHRAN (defapress) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized remarks by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Wednesday, describing his speech as an act of “mockery” of the international body.

News ID: 74295

Date: 13 December 2018 - 11:04

—bragged abt violating Res 2231; outlined plans for more violations

—confirmed that US and allies rely on defunct Res 1929 provision on missiles

—turned an isolated US into 1st perm SC member to PUNISH other countries for COMPLYING w/ Res,” Zarif said in a message posted on his Twitter account on Thursday.

The tweet came after Pompeo, speaking before the Security Council, urged the UN to reimpose a ban on Iran on all ballistic missile activity, saying afterwards, "Now it's time for the Security Council to get serious about this real risk from proliferation from the Iranian regime."

Pompeo called on the Council to “thwart Iran’s continuing efforts to circumvent the existing arms restrictions”.

In response, Eshaq Al-e-Habib, the Iranian deputy ambassador to the UN, rejected US’s allegations against Iran’s missile program, saying that “through fabrication, disinformation and invoking irrelevant criteria, the US tries to create ambiguity to misinterpret the resolution with regards to Iran’s missile launches.”

He said Iran’s ballistic missile program was only designed to carry conventional warheads against foreign threats.

Resolution 2231 was adopted by the UNSC in July 2015 to endorse the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The document terminated the provisions of previous UNSC resolutions against Iran, some of which had imposed restrictions on Iranian missile activities. Such activities are not prohibited under Resolution 2231, which merely calls on Iran “to refrain from any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.”

Iranian officials have time and again underscored that none of the country’s missiles have been designed to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads, because nuclear weapons have basically no place in Iran’s defense doctrine.

Iran has also stressed that its missile program is non-negotiable as it is part of the country’s deterrence.

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