Iran's foreign minister rejected a warning from the United States against carrying out space vehicle launches, saying Tehran is not violating a United Nations resolution.

Iran Press/Iran newsMohammad Javad Zarif was responding to remarks on Thursday by his American counterpart, Mike Pompeo on Iran's planned launch of three Space Launch Vehicles (SLV).

Zarif, said in a tweet hours later, "Iran's launch of space vehicles— & missile tests—are NOT in violation of Res 2231. The US is in material breach of same & as such it is in no position to lecture anyone on it," Iran Press reported.

The top Iranian diplomat was referring the Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the multilateral nuclear deal in defiance of international objections as well as the resolution, to which it itself had voted 'Yes.'

Zarif further reminded Pompeo that the US cannot base its claims on Resolution 1929 of 2010, which is no longer valid.

In an event on January 3 to commemorate the Khorasan Daily in Mashhad, northeast Iran, Zarif has emphasized that the era when one country had a monopoly over power is over and no single country can claim to decide the fate of the entire world.

US Secretary of State said the SLVs incorporate technology that is "virtually identical" to that used in intercontinental ballistic missiles, claiming that such rocket launches would violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

Resolution 2231 terminated the provisions of previous UNSC resolutions against Iran, some of which had imposed restrictions on Iranian missile activities. Such activities are not prohibited under Resolution 2231, which merely calls on Iran “to refrain from any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.”

Tehran has always emphasized that it has no nuclear warheads and that none of its missiles have been designed to carry nuclear weapons.

On May 8, the US president pulled his country out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was achieved in Vienna in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).

Following US exit from the JCPOA, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord. 101/202

 

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