Iran Press/America: Despite clarifying statements by Iranian officials, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that pending launch of satellites into space by Iran is actually a test of nuclear-capable missile technology, according to Iran Press.
"The United States has determined that Iran's planned launch of satellites into space is actually a cover for the regime's continued testing of advanced missile technology capable of carrying a nuclear warhead", Pompeo told the Washington Free Beacon on Saturday ahead of private meetings with Persian Gulf State officials in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
"The whole world needs to come together to oppose that," Pompeo said, confirming that administration's view that this type of test violates UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which calls upon Iran to stop its ongoing tests of various types of advanced ballistic missiles.
US Secretary of States' claims is while Iranian top officials have particularly responded to all these allegations and called them baseless.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on December 15 that the United States is in clear violation of resolution 2231 of the Security Council, by withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) so it puts them in no position to talk about that resolution because they have tried to destroy the resolution, the resolution stands in spite of them not because of them.
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Commenting further Zarif said, "The resolution is very clear it does not prohibit Iran from testing missiles it refers to missiles that are designed to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads in which JCPOA and Resolution 2231 refer to it."
Zarif reiterated: "Iran does not seek nuclear weapons and therefore we will not have any nuclear warheads for which we designed missiles which means that the missiles we are testing won't come within the purview of the request, nor the demand of the Security Council in 2231."
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Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has so far endorsed 13 reports of Iran's compliance with JCPOA and confirmed peaceful nuclear activities of Iran.
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, told board members on November 21 that Iran continues to abide by the nuclear deal reached in 2015.
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Despite US President Donald Trump's hostile policy towards the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said on October 6, that the EU should remain strong on its' commitment to the historic Iran nuclear deal. 208/103
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There is no prohibition for testing of Iranian missiles: Zarif
