Iran Tests More Missiles Amid Criticism

“UN Security Council Resolution 2231 calls upon Iran not to undertake any launches of ballistic missiles created to be capable of delivering a nuclear weapon”. The United States, France and other countries said that if confirmed, the new launches of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles would violate U.N. Security Council resolution 2231.

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander was quoted last week as saying that Iran’s medium-range ballistic missiles were created to be able to hit Israel.

The United States said it would raise the issue during closed door U.N. Security Council consultations next week and is urging countries to cooperate on undermining Tehran’s missile program, Samantha Power, the US envoy to the United Nations, said on Friday.

Power stressed that Washington considers the recent launches “provocative and destabilizing”, and created to threaten to Israel. In a statement Thursday, the ministry called on the world to “react firmly and decisively” against further Iranian missile launches.

“This is an important step in and of itself and is also a test of the major powers in enforcing the nuclear agreement”, it added.

Iran fired two long-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday and similar tests were carried out on Tuesday, less than two months after the Iran nuclear deal was implemented.

But Iran denied the missile tests were a violation of the landmark 2015 agreement, which led to the lifting of sanctions in January.

Late Wednesday, the head of the airspace division of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Amir Ali Hejazi, told state TV that the Hebrew markings on the missiles tested earlier in the day were “a choice by colleagues” who worked on the missiles, indicating it was not an official, high-level decision.