Iran Condemns U.S. Ballistic Missile Test
Kayhan Int’l Political Desk
TABRIZ – Iran on Saturday denounced a recent ballistic missile test by the United States which was previously prohibited under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).
"We voice concern over this new missile test by the United States and announce that United States’ unilateral withdrawal from INF treaty will lead to instability in the world,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told a news conference in this northwestern Iranian city.
The United States carried out the test on Thursday. Washington formally withdrew from the 1987 INF pact with Russia in August after claiming that Moscow was violating the treaty, an accusation the Kremlin has denied.
It was the second test by the United States that would have been prohibited under the INF treaty and took place as the future of another major nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the United States is under question.
The United States is staunchly opposed to Iran’s conventional missile capabilities which the country has indigenously developed for exclusively defensive and deterrent purposes.
Mousavi on Saturday stressed that the United Nations Security Council has not banned Iran from testing conventional missiles as per Resolution 2231 endorsing a 2015 nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic.
The U.S. has escalated tensions in the Middle East by deploying additional troops and military assets to the Persian Gulf, citing unspecified threats from Iran.
Mousavi said Iran supports Japan’s de-escalation efforts, which include the country’s decision to possibly host Iranian President Hassan Rouhani this month.
"Japan is a friendly country that seeks to meet all the interests of the regional countries and hence, it has started taking some measures which Iran supports,” the spokesman said.
Reports say Japan and Iran are making final arrangements for President Rouhani and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to hold talks on Dec. 20.
Rouhani is reportedly planning to arrive in Japan on the evening of Dec. 19 for a three-day visit after stopping in Malaysia, where he is expected to attend a conference.
Abe has said his government — through its own diplomatic initiative — wants to help ease tensions in the Middle East.
Mousavi said Japan has put forward some proposals for de-escalation, hoping Rouhani’s visit to Japan would be fruitful.
TABRIZ – Iran on Saturday denounced a recent ballistic missile test by the United States which was previously prohibited under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).
"We voice concern over this new missile test by the United States and announce that United States’ unilateral withdrawal from INF treaty will lead to instability in the world,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told a news conference in this northwestern Iranian city.
The United States carried out the test on Thursday. Washington formally withdrew from the 1987 INF pact with Russia in August after claiming that Moscow was violating the treaty, an accusation the Kremlin has denied.
It was the second test by the United States that would have been prohibited under the INF treaty and took place as the future of another major nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the United States is under question.
The United States is staunchly opposed to Iran’s conventional missile capabilities which the country has indigenously developed for exclusively defensive and deterrent purposes.
Mousavi on Saturday stressed that the United Nations Security Council has not banned Iran from testing conventional missiles as per Resolution 2231 endorsing a 2015 nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic.
The U.S. has escalated tensions in the Middle East by deploying additional troops and military assets to the Persian Gulf, citing unspecified threats from Iran.
Mousavi said Iran supports Japan’s de-escalation efforts, which include the country’s decision to possibly host Iranian President Hassan Rouhani this month.
"Japan is a friendly country that seeks to meet all the interests of the regional countries and hence, it has started taking some measures which Iran supports,” the spokesman said.
Reports say Japan and Iran are making final arrangements for President Rouhani and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to hold talks on Dec. 20.
Rouhani is reportedly planning to arrive in Japan on the evening of Dec. 19 for a three-day visit after stopping in Malaysia, where he is expected to attend a conference.
Abe has said his government — through its own diplomatic initiative — wants to help ease tensions in the Middle East.
Mousavi said Japan has put forward some proposals for de-escalation, hoping Rouhani’s visit to Japan would be fruitful.