Iran’s Foreign Ministry:

Missile Program Does Not Breach JCPOA

Date: 26 July 2017 - 21:41

News ID: ۴۲۱۸۴

TEHRAN (Press TV) -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Wednesday Iran’s missile program is no breach of UN Resolution 2231, which endorses the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and the P5+1 group.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran’s missile program is in accordance with Resolution 2231 and nothing can prevent Iran from pursuing and implementing its principled policy to boost defense capabilities,” Qassemi said.
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 419-3 in favor of a bill imposing new sanctions on Iran over its missile program and alleged destabilizing role in the Middle East.
The bill must pass the U.S. Senate before it can be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to veto or sign into law.
Qassemi said if approved and implemented, the bill would undermine the successful implementation of the Iranian nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which he referred to as an international multilateral agreement.
Qassemi said that under the JCPOA, the U.S. had obligations that needed to fulfill, stressing that the countries' rules and laws could not act as an excuse for governments to shirk their international responsibilities.
"Since the Islamic Republic of Iran has been fully committed to and fulfilled its obligations, as verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and admitted by the P5+1 group of countries, it expects other parties to the JCPOA , including the U.S. government, to follow suit,” he said.
He added that the U.S. bill was against the spirit and text of the JCPOA, stressing that Iran would reciprocate to ensure the interests of the country.
Qassemi also rejected claims in the bill that Iran destabilized the region and sponsored terrorism.
He said the American lawmakers accused Iran of destabilizing the region while the U.S. government had played a key role in forming terrorist groups, including Daesh, by launching military aggression against Iraq, adding that the growing insecurity and extremism in the region were the results of "unwise and irresponsible” policies of the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East.