Alaeddin Boroujerdi, reaffirming that Islamic Republic of Iran’s missile program is unrelated to Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), asserted, “the missiles do not have the capability of carrying nuclear warheads and are merely created to improve Iran’s defense power which is a normal issue”.
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Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Bahram Ghasemi said this on the ministry’s website.
In a speech on Thursday, Merkel claimed in the Bundestag that Iran “continued unabated to develop its rocket program in conflict with the relevant provisions of the UN Security Council”.
“I am concerned that those ballistic missile launches are not consistent with the constructive spirit demonstrated by the signing” of the deal, he said in his first report to the UN Security Council on the deal’s implementation.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed Ban’s sentiments and told parliament on Thursday that the missile launches earlier this year were inconsistent with the United Nations resolution.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Boroujerdi rejected allegations leveled by Merkel against Iran about its ballistic missile program, describing the remarks as unacceptable because they are “non-technical and politically-motivated”.
But Ban’s report stopped short of saying the missile launches were a violation of the UN Security Council resolution.
Six months after economic sanctions against Iran were eased as part of a deal with world powers that curbed the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions, the country has yet to witness the financial benefits many predicted.
Following the adoption of the JCPOA, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2231, which prohibits Iran from engaging in activities related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. However, Iran’s ballistic missile programme was not covered by the agreement.
In March 2016, Senator Kirk also joined Senator Ayotte in introducing the Iran Ballistic Missile Sanctions Act of 2016 (S. 2725).
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Schaefer said that Germany and its partners would work to ensure Iran abides by the agreement signed in Vienna last July.
