Iran promises not to use ballistic missiles as weapons

Iran said today that ballistic missile tests carried out by the country on Sunday were neither part of a nuclear agreement with world powers, or a UN Security Council resolution endorsing the deal, something which Security Council members reject.

Neither confirming nor denying US accusations that Iran had carried out a missile test on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran would never use missiles “produced in Iran” to attack another country.

Zarif also said that such tests were not part of any United Nations resolution ratifying accord.

“The missiles aren’t part of the nuclear accords. Iran will never use missiles produced in Iran to attack any other country,” said Zarif, speaking at a joint news conference held with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.

“No Iranian missiles have been produced to carry nuclear warheads,” he added.

Ayrault told reporters at the conference that France had made clear its concerns over the Iranian ballistic missile test, adding that it harmed the international community’s confidence in Iran and contravened UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

Iran on Sunday carried out a test launch of a medium-range ballistic missile that exploded after flying 1,010 kilometres, a US official said yesterday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the test was carried out from a site near Semnan, east of Tehran. The official added that the last time this type of missile was test launched was in July 2016.

The White House said it was aware that Iran had tested a missile.

“We’re looking into that. We’re aware that Iran fired that missile. We’re looking into the exact nature of it, and I’ll try to have more for you later,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer said during a press briefing.

Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned Iran yesterday and said he would work with other lawmakers and President Donald Trump’s administration to hold Iran accountable.

Ayrault vowed that France would act as defender of Iran’s nuclear deal, saying it was in the “common interest” that the 2015 accord was obeyed. Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for lifted sanctions.

He said that while Iran had “largely” honoured the deal’s terms, it had tested the accord over the past year by carrying out several ballistic missile tests.

Iran has been known to supply its many proxies throughout the region with missiles, including Lebanese Shia jihadists Hezbollah, and the Yemeni Shia Houthi rebels.