TEHRAN – Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi has argued that the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 imposes no ban on Iran’s missile tests.

During a presser in the northwestern city of Tabriz on Saturday, Mousavi criticized some Western countries’ position on Iran’s missile tests, Tasnim reported.

He said the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has nothing to do with missile tests.

The JCPOA was struck between Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany, on July 14, 2015.

However, Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the deal in May 2018 and adopted what his administration called the policy of “maximum pressure” to force Tehran into writing another deal.

Only nuclear issues were discussed with the world powers during the negotiations that led to the JCPOA, Mousavi stated.

Noting that they unsuccessfully tried to raise the issue of missiles in the negotiations, he underlined that Resolution 2231 has not banned Iran from missile tests and they are well aware of it.

“We regard statements about Iran’s missile tests as meddlesome and reject them,” the spokesman added.

Resolution 2231, adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council in July 2015, endorsed the Iran nuclear agreement. While the resolution “calls upon” Iran not to test nuclear-capable missiles, it does not ban Iran to conduct missile tests.

Back in December 2018, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA do not restrict Iran’s missile program.

Zarif reiterated Iran’s long-held policy that Tehran does not seek to build nuclear weapons and that the country’s missiles are not designed to carry nuclear warheads.

Iran maintains that its missile program is totally deterrent in nature and is part of the country’s unstoppable defense program.

MH/PA