US and Allies demand UN action on Iran missile test
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WASHINGTON: In a letter containing details on the launch, they said the ballistic missile was "inherently capable of delivering a nuclear weapon." Iran said earlier this month that it had tested a new precision-guided ballistic missile. Diplomats have said it was possible for the sanctions committee to blacklist additional Iranian individuals or entities if it determined that the missile launch had breached the U.N. ban. However, they said Russia and China, which have opposed the sanctions on Iran's missile program, might block any such moves. Iran has disputed the Western assessment that the missile was capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. "None of the Islamic Republic of Iran's missiles has been designed for a nuclear capability," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA. Ballistic missile tests by Iran are banned under a 2010 Security Council resolution that remains valid until a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers is implemented. U.S. and European officials have said it is unlikely the deal will be fully implemented before next year. The missile test is not a violation of the nuclear deal, U.S. officials have said. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei conditionally approved the nuclear deal but warned it would be violated if any of the six world powers imposed any sanctions on any level and under any pretext.
