US ‘won’t stand’ for Iran’s ballistic missile tests

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday said that the US would never stand for ballistic missile tests recently conducted by Iran.

Mr Pompeo hit out at the UN for failing to rein in Tehran, which he said was openly defying a Security Council resolution tied to the nuclear deal.

Iran is conducting 40 to 50 such tests each year, which are destabilising the Middle East, he said, accusing Tehran of giving the weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Mr Pompeo’s comments follow Iran’s test on December 1 of a missile he said was capable of “carrying warheads”, breaching UN resolution 2231 that requires Iran “not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons”.

That resolution was agreed on at the same time as the nuclear deal, putting restrictions on Tehran until 2024, but the diplomatic wording did not explicitly forbid missile activity. “Iran has exploited the goodwill of nations and defied Security Council resolutions in its quest for a robust missile force,” Mr Pompeo told the Security Council, blaming the nuclear deal for emboldening the Iranian regime.

“The US will never stand for this. The level of accountability in Iran has diminished, while the risk has increased. The [nuclear agreement] has, without a doubt, to date shielded Iran from the accountability to the risks it presents to the world.”

The sixth report of the UN Secretary General on the 2015 nuclear agreement said on Tuesday that Iran was keeping its side of the accord, which was made during the US administration of president Barack Obama.

Yesterday’s Security Council meeting also underscored a split between the US and other parties – Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany – to the nuclear deal over the reimposition of American sanctions in recent months.

The other signatories made collective and individual statements that the agreement must continue, despite the US withdrawal.

The UN report detailed objections to the US decision, saying the accord “is fundamental to regional and international peace and security”, and suggested that Iran’s missile tests should be addressed separately by UN members.

Mr Pompeo thanked Britain, France, the UAE and Saudi Arabia for raising concerns about Iran’s missile tests at the Security Council, calling for sterner action.

“When we collectively call on Iran to cease its ballistic missile activity we must agree to stop it now, but Iran is as defiant of the world’s insistence as ever,” he said.

“Because here we are, meeting for the 12th year in a row about Iran’s ballistic missiles.”