US and allies rely on defunct resolutions: Zarif

TEHRAN– Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has reacted to the “latest mockery” of the US Secretary of State regarding Iran’s ballistic missile activity.

In a Thursday tweet, Zarif berated US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who on Wednesday, “bragged about violating the Resolution 2231 of the United Nations Security Council” and also outlined plans for more violations against the Islamic Republic’s rights, according to the Mehr News Agency.

Further in his tweet, Zarif noted that Pompeo’s remarks “confirmed that the US and allies rely on the defunct Resolution 1929 on provision on missiles.”

Yesterday (Dec. 12), at the Security Council’s session on Iran, Pompeo urged the United Nations Security Council to prohibit Iran from conducting ballistic missile tests. He again claimed that Tehran has increased its ballistic missile activity since the Iran nuclear deal took effect in 2016 and defended the Trump administration’s decision earlier this year to withdraw from the agreement.

He also said that the US will be relentless in building a coalition to confront Iran’s ballistic missile activity.

However, the divide between the US and other participants in the event was abundantly clear.

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said Resolution 2231 of the United Nations Security Council does not ban Iran from conducting missile launches, and there is no sign of nuclear component in their missile tests.

“We have heard a lot today about ballistic missiles. Let us remind you of provision 3 of Annex B in Resolution 2231 of the UN Security Council. It calls on Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons,” the top diplomat said.

“On the whole, missile launches are not banned. There is no evidence confirming their possible nuclear nature,” he said.

M.Wassouf