Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said the missiles were conventional armaments for “legitimate defense” and not designed for carrying nuclear warheads, the state-controlled IRNA news agency reported.
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Iranian leaders on Tuesday threatened to abandon the worldwide agreement if it conflicts with Tehran’s “national interests” – just hours after the missiles were launched, which violate UN Security Council resolutions.
” Iran says its missiles aren’t designed for nuclear weapons. U.S. missiles targeting Islamic State have been shown online with the slogan “From Paris with love” written on them, referring to last year’s terror attacks. The missiles, launched from northern Iran, hit targets up to 870 miles away. The U.N. Security Council lifted its ban on such testing when the deal was struck, but did pass a resolution that “calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles. including launches using such ballistic missile technology”. She said in a statement that Iran’s “blatant violation” of the Security Council resolution should have “consequences”.
Late Wednesday, the head of the airspace division of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Amir Ali Hejazi, told state TV that the Hebrew markings on the missiles tested earlier in the day were “a choice by colleagues” who worked on the missiles, indicating it was not an official, high-level decision.
The first test occurred Tuesday when the IRGC reportedly fired several missiles from different underground silos across the country; however the footage was seen only for one.
“There can be no justification for this hateful violence and the United States stands firmly behind Israel’s right to defend itself”, Biden said Wednesday, NBC News reports.
Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon told Israel Radio the tests showed Iran’s hostility had not changed since implementing a nuclear deal with world powers in January, despite Rouhani’s overtures to the West.
In January, Iran seized 10 US sailors in the Gulf when their two riverine command boats headed from Kuwait to Bahrain ended up in Iranian territorial waters after the crews “misnavigated”, the USA military said.
In October, Iran successfully test-fired a new guided long-range ballistic surface-to-surface missile.
Iran also has fired rockets near USA warships and flown an unarmed drone over an American aircraft carrier in recent months.
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US Secretary of State John Kerry called his Iranian opposite number Mohammad Javad Zarif Wednesday to protest the latest tests. “Our main enemy is the United States”.
