United Nations, United States: The UN Security Council will meet behindclosed doors on Tuesday at the request of France and Britain after theyaccused Iran of test-firing a medium-range missile at the weekend,diplomats said.
The United States said the missile launch on Saturday was a violation of aUN resolution that endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from whichWashington has withdrawn.
That resolution calls on Iran to refrain from testing missiles capable ofcarrying a nuclear weapon.
France said it was concerned by the test-firing with the foreign ministrydescribing it as “provocative and destabilising” and “does not conform”with UN resolution 2231 on the Iran deal.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called the missile test “provocative,threatening and inconsistent” with the resolution and said Britain wasdetermined “that it should cease.”
Iran has long maintained that its missile program is defensive in natureand not aimed at ensuring the delivery of a nuclear weapon, a stancesupported by Russia at the Security Council.
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Washington’s Iran envoy Brian Hook urged the European Union to slapsanctions that target Tehran’s missile program as US Secretary of StateMike Pompeo traveled to Brussels for talks with European partners.
The United States decided in May to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal andreimpose sanctions on Iran, to the dismay of its Europeans allies.
The nuclear deal provides for a lifting of sanctions against Iran in returnfor curbs on its nuclear activities.
The remaining five signatories to the nuclear deal — Britain, China,France, Germany and Russia — have backed an EU effort to set up a specialpayment system in a bid to maintain trade and business ties with Iran. -APP / AFP
