Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon has claimed that Iran’s action in launching satellite on January 14 was a clear violation of the UN Security Council’s 2231 resolution.

In a letter to the UN Security Council, he described Iran’s move as a “rogue act,” a clear violation of Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015)”, the Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday.

Iran attempted on Tuesday to launch Payam satellite into orbit but the rocket’s third stage failed to provide enough speed to reach the orbit.

Iran has repeatedly said its missile program is purely defensive and its missiles are not designed to carry nuclear warheads.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday that Iran’s action in launching satellite is not against international law.

He noted that Resolution 2231 of the UN Security Council has not considered any ban on using ballistic missiles’ technologies for Iran and it has only demanded it to avoid launching missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

“All the experts know that satellite carriers and non-nuclear surface-to-surface ballistic missiles are different structurally from missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads,” he told reporters, according to IRNA.

The resolution 2231 doesn’t ban Iran from exercising its right to test conventional ballistic missiles. 

Israel which claims the satellite launch is a violation of the resolution 2231 was the chief opponent of the nuclear agreement during the Obama administration and fiercely pushed Donald Trump to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear agreement endorsed by the resolution.

PA/PA