UNITED NATIONS – Diplomats from European countries on Tuesday blasted a recent Iranian missile test as “inconsistent” with a key U.N. Security Council resolution, as they struggle to keep the Iran deal intact amid U.S. pressure to get tough on the Islamic regime.
Fox News reports:
Iran test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile on Saturday, which the U.S. said had the capability to strike parts of Europe and the Middle East.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the missile was capable of carrying multiple warheads and was in violation of Security Council Resolution 2231 — which calls on Iran to refrain from “any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.”
Resolution 2231 was the Security Council’s enshrinement of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) — which the Trump administration withdrew the U.S. from in May. The other signatories were Germany, U.K., France, China and Russia.
But the missile test has posed challenges to those countries trying to uphold their end of the deal despite the U.S. withdrawal — drawing condemnation from European countries that otherwise have been supportive of the Iran pact. Consequently, the U.K. and France called a closed-door meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday to discuss the issue, though diplomats declared the test “inconsistent” with rather than “in violation” of 2231.
U.K. Ambassador Karen Pierce called the actions “part and parcel of Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region.” Her comments echo U.K. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said Saturday that he was “deeply concerned by Iran’s actions,” even as he reiterated support for the nuclear deal.
“Provocative, threatening and inconsistent with UNSCR 2231. Our support for JCPoA in no way lessens our concern at Iran’s destabilising missile programme and determination that it should cease,” he tweeted.
Deeply concerned by Iran’s test firing of a medium range ballistic missile. Provocative, threatening and inconsistent with UNSCR 2231. Our support for JCPoA in no way lessens our concern at Iran’s destabilising missile programme and determination that it should cease
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) 1 December 2018
The claim that the move was “inconsistent” with 2231 was echoed by other diplomats at Turtle Bay.
“This kind of ballistic missile activity is inconsistent with the JCPoA , especially Annex B which calls on Iran not to engage in these kinds of activities,” Dutch Ambassador Karel van Oosterom said.
French Ambassador François Delattre also said Iran’s actions were “inconsistent” with the resolution and called on Iran to “immediately cease any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be able to carry nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology.”
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