Western powers are demanding that the UN Security Council take actions over Iran’s repeated ballistic missile tests, Reuters revealed on Tuesday.
In a joint letter to the Security Council seen by the news agency, the United States and its European allies say that by launching nuclear-capable missiles, Iran has defied a United Nations Security Council resolution that endorsed last year's nuclear deal.
Iran's recent ballistic tests involved missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons and were "inconsistent with" and "in defiance of" council resolution 2231, adopted last July, says the joint U.S., British, French, German letter to Spain's UN Ambassador Roman Oyarzun Marchesi and UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
The Iranian regime earlier this month fired a number of ballistic missiles in tests across the country. The words “annihilate Israel” were reportedly written on the missiles, and Iranian officials claimed the missile systems being developed were needed “to confront the Zionist entity” and to ensure “its collapse”.
Those tests followed several similar tests in October, which a team of UN sanctions monitors later confirmed had violated of a UN Security Council resolution.
The letter quoted by Reuters said the missiles used in the recent launches were "inherently capable of delivering nuclear weapons."
It also asks that the Security Council discuss "appropriate responses" to Tehran's failure to comply with its obligations and urged Ban to report back on Iranian missile work inconsistent with 2231.
In January, the United States imposed sanctions on Iranian companies and individuals in response to the October missile tests. Last week it named units from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) involved in the country's ballistic missile program to its sanctions blacklist.
But Iran has remained defiant and continues to insist that it will continue to develop its ballistic missile program despite the sanctions. Remarks to this effect were made Monday by a senior IRGC commander.
"Even if they build a wall around Iran, our missile program will not stop," Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh declared, adding, "They are trying to frighten our officials with sanctions and invasion. This fear is our biggest threat."