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UN Assessment of Iran’s Missile Test

UN Assessment of Iran’s Missile Test
UN Assessment of Iran’s Missile Test

A team of sanctions monitors claimed Iran violated a UN Security Council resolution in October by test-firing a missile allegedly capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

Iran says its nuclear program has no military aspects and that its missiles are not designed to carry nuclear warheads.

The White House said it would not rule out additional steps against Iran over the test of the medium-range Emad rocket.

The Security Council's Panel of Experts on Iran said in a confidential report, first reported by Reuters, that the launch showed the rocket met its requirements for considering that a missile could deliver a nuclear weapon.

"On the basis of its analysis and findings, the panel concludes that Emad launch is a violation by Iran of paragraph 9 of Security Council Resolution 1929," the panel said.

Diplomats said it was possible for the UN sanctions committee to blacklist additional Iranian individuals or entities. But they said Russia and China, which dislike the sanctions on Iran's missile program, might block any such moves.

While ballistic missile tests may violate UNSC sanctions, council diplomats note that such launches are not a violation of the July 14 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers.

Iran has repeatedly made clear it has no intention of complying with the "illegal" restrictions on its missile program.

UNSC Resolution 1929, which bans ballistic missile tests, was adopted in 2010 and remains valid until the nuclear deal is implemented.

According to a July 20 UNSC resolution endorsing the nuclear deal, Iran is still "called upon" to refrain from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons for up to eight years.

 

Financialtribune.com