The test comes two days before the anniversary of an historic nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers and is at least the fourth attempted launch since the deal was signed.
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Tehran used North Korean technology to launch a new kind of ballistic missile Tuesday, but the test failed shortly after liftoff when the missile exploded.
H.R. 5631, the Iran Accountability Act, enhances sanctions within the areas of terrorism, ballistic missile development, and human rights infringements.
According to the report, the maximum range of the missile is 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers), more than twice the distance between Tehran and Jerusalem.
After Iran’s previous attempt to launch a missile in March, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a report to the Security Council that the tests were “not consistent” with the spirit of the nuclear agreement signed with world powers.
In comments published on Iran’s foreign ministry website July 8, spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said that “Iran will strongly continue its missile program based on its own defense and national security calculations”.
Pointing to Ban Ki-moon’s recent draft report on the implementation of JCPOA, Araghchi said Mr. Ban’s report was unbalanced and biased.
In practice, it says, “significant breakthrough” has been made over the past three months, highlighting the release of some of the Central Bank of Iran’s frozen assets, betterment of interaction with foreign banks and resumption of financial transaction with European and Japanese banks.
The Resolution calls upon Iran ‘not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles created to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology’.
‘I am concerned by the ballistic missile launches conducted by Iran in March 2016.
H.R. 5119, the No Heavy Water From Iran Act, keeps the Administration from supporting Iran’s nuclear program through the purchase of this chemical needed for the production of weapons-grade plutonium. But Iran is still subject to a United Nations arms embargo and other restrictions, and the United Nations resolution includes a provision that would automatically reinstate sanctions if Tehran reneges on its promises.
Iranian officials have said they remain committed to pursuing the country’s ballistic missile program, which has become the cornerstone of Iran’s strategic forces.
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But no action has been taken, and the divisions in the council on whether the ballistic missile launches violated the United Nations resolution make it unlikely that Iran will face new sanctions.
