Iran Focus
London, 1 Feb – Yahoo News ran an an article from Reuters on January 30, reported by Patricia Zengerle, about the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Corker, who condemned Iran on Monday after reports it conducted a ballistic missile test. He said he would work with other lawmakers and the Trump administration to hold Iran accountable.
A U.S. official said on Monday, that on Sunday Iran made a test launch of a medium-range ballistic missile which exploded after 630 miles. Whether or not the test launch violated a United Nations Security Council resolution, remains unclear.
Congress has repeatedly called for new sanctions to punish Iran for conducting such tests.
In another January 30 article published by Yahoo News, they report that diplomats say that the UN Security Council will hold urgent talks Tuesday on Iran’s test-firing of a medium-range missile.
After the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations called for council action, the United States requested the emergency consultations.
“In light of Iran’s January 29 launch of a medium-range ballistic missile, the United States has requested urgent consultations of the Security Council,” the US mission said in a statement.
Talks on Iran will follow a meeting regarding Syria, scheduled for 10:00 am (1500 GMT).
Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador, said the missile test violated UN resolutions that bar Iran from launching ballistic missiles that could have a nuclear capability. “The international community must not bury its head in the sand in the face of this Iranian aggression,” said Danon, adding, “The Security Council members must act immediately in response to these Iranian actions which endanger not only Israel, but the entire Middle East.”
This request for council consultations is the first made by the United States, since new US Ambassador Nikki Haley took office.
US President Trump promised to strengthen ties with Israel, and has criticized the Iran Nuclear Deal that led to a lifting of international sanctions against Tehran. On February 15, Trump is due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Security Council adopted a resolution shortly after the 2015 nuclear agreement that bars Iran from developing missiles “designed to carry nuclear warheads.”
Iran claims its missiles would never carry a nuclear warhead, as it has no plans to develop atomic weapons, but military officials have insisted on expanding the country’s missile program.
While Britain, France and the United States sought action over Iranian missiles launches last year, Russia and China opposed the discussion of possible sanctions. They argued that it would jeopardize the hard-fought Nuclear Deal.
Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States entered into the Nuclear Deal with Iran, which imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in return for lifting sanctions.
