TEHRAN – Responding to recent missile remarks by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the head of the Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee has rejected them as “unacceptable” as they are “politically motivated.”

Chancellor Angela Merkel told the parliament in Berlin on Thursday that missile launches by Iran earlier this year were inconsistent with a UN resolution urging it to refrain for up to eight years from missile work designed to deliver nuclear weapons, according to Reuters.

“Angela Merkel’s remarks about Iran’s missile capabilities are unacceptable as they are nontechnical and politically motivated,” said Alaeddin Boroujerdi.

Underscoring that Iran has fulfilled its commitments to the JCPOA, the official said, “There is no reason to see Iran’s missile capabilities a threat to the region and European countries as it is only for defensive purposes.”  

In March, the IRGC test-fired two types of Qadr ballistic missiles during the large-scale drills, codenamed “Might of Velayat.”

The launches were the first ones since signing a deal with world powers on its nuclear program in July.

While Tehran insists that the capability is merely defensive, some Western countries including the U.S. have said it is in breach of the UN 2231 resolution that prohibits Iran from firing any missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The UN resolution "calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology."

Iranian officials have deemed the concerns unwarranted as none of the missiles test-fired by Iran were designed to carry nuclear warheads.

Commenting on an earlier missile test-firing by Iran, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had said the U.S. and its partners were “prepared to work on a new arrangement to find a peaceful solution to these issues.”

However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif replied that the country’s missile program was not up for negotiation with the U.S.

Iran test-fires missiles of different ranges and capabilities year round during regular military drills to keep its armed forces on their toes and has developed home-grown missile families.

AK/PA