UN Security Council meets on Iran’s ballistic missile launches

The UN Security Council is meeting at the request of three Western powers involved in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal who say Tehran’s ballistic missile launches are “inconsistent” with the council resolution that endorsed the agreement.

France, Germany, and Britain sent a letter to council, which was circulated during the meeting, saying Iran’s launches of Zolfaqar and Qiam short-range ballistic missiles on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 “are inherently capable of delivering nuclear weapons.”

A provision in the 2015 Security Council resolution calls on Iran “not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.”

Before the closed-door council meeting today, Britain’s UN Ambassador Karen Pierce called the launches “inconsistent behavior,” but she said more information is needed to determine whether they violated the resolution.

— AP