The day before that, Iran conducted other missile tests that Washington suggested were in violation of a United Nations resolution adopted past year in the wake of an historic agreement by Tehran to curtail its nuclear program.
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But the United States insisted the tests violated the resolution and should prompt additional sanctions by the council.
Iranian officials have time and again affirmed that none of the country’s missiles have been created to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads, because nuclear weapons have basically no place in Iran’s defense doctrine.
But Russia’s United Nations ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, told reporters that Moscow had no information that the missiles could carry nuclear weapons and that there was no violation of the resolution.
“Today the world has believed in Iran’s constructive interaction with Iran and we will continue this constructive interaction with the world”, continued Rouhani mentioning recognition of Iran’s nuclear rights. “Some may say it’s a bad thing anyway, and I would not necessarily dispute that; the legal distinction is there”, he added.
“Russia seems to be lawyering its way to look for reasons not to act, rather than stepping up and being prepared to shoulder its collective responsibility”, Ambassador Power said.
Power said the missile tests merit a response from the Security Council despite Russia’s hint at using its veto power over council actions.
“Having heard the foreign minister’s explanation, it is Australia’s position that should the UN Security Council wish to investigate this matter, then that would be the proper legal process for it to do so”, Bishop said.
In this photo obtained from the Iranian Fars News Agency, a Qadr H long-range ballistic surface-to-surface missile is fired by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, during a maneuver, in an undisclosed location in Iran, Wednesday, March 9, 2016.
“If a missile was launched and it was written on it England, France or Japan must be removed from the Earth, would the worldwide community sit silently?”
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But Iranian leaders have to be careful not to announce their full capabilities until they reach a point where we can do little about it. Their model for doing this is North Korea, which accepted our aid but secretly pursued both a nuclear arsenal and intercontinental ballistic missiles, and now threatens to attack us.
