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Israel Calls on U.N. to Punish Iran for Missile Tests Israel Calls on U.N. to Punish Iran for Missile Tests
(about 5 hours later)
Israel called on the United Nations Security Council on Monday to punish Iran for testing missiles capable of reaching Israel, which the Israelis said was a sign that the Iranians could not be trusted to honor the nuclear agreement reached last year. Israel called on the United Nations Security Council on Monday to punish Iran for testing missile
“Iran’s interests can no longer be hidden,” the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told reporters as the Council began a private session, at the request of the United States, to discuss last week’s missile tests. s capable of reaching Israel, which the Israelis said was a sign that the Iranians could not be trusted to honor the nuclear agreement reached last year.
“Iran’s interests can no longer be hidden,” the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told reporters as the Council met in a private session, at the request of the United States, to discuss last week’s missile tests.
Mr. Danon brought with him a photograph of an Iranian missile that appeared to be inscribed with the phrase “Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth” in Persian and Hebrew.Mr. Danon brought with him a photograph of an Iranian missile that appeared to be inscribed with the phrase “Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth” in Persian and Hebrew.
The provenance of that photograph, which appeared to be the same as one published by Iran’s Fars news agency, has not been confirmed. Fars, which is associated with Iran’s hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been known to digitally alter photographs of missiles, and other official Iranian news media have not disseminated the image. The provenance of that photograph, which appeared to be the same as one published by Iran’s Fars news agency, has not been confirmed. Fars, which is associated with Iran’s hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, has been known to digitally alter photographs of missiles, and other official Iranian news media have not disseminated the image.
Iranian officials have described the missiles that were tested on Tuesday and Wednesday as defensive. They have rejected accusations by critics in the United States and elsewhere that the tests violated a Security Council resolution calling on Iran to refrain from such activity. Iranian officials have described the missiles that were tested on Tuesday and Wednesday as defensive. They have rejected accusations by critics in the United States and elsewhere that the tests violated a Security Council resolution calling on Iran to refrain from testing missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
The resolution, 2231, was unanimously approved in July after Iran and major world powers, including the United States, completed the nuclear agreement, which officially took effect in January. The nuclear agreement relaxed or ended the stiffest sanctions on Iran in exchange for sharp reductions in its nuclear activities and monitored guarantees that they were peaceful. The resolution, 2231, was unanimously approved last July after Iran and major world powers, including the United States, completed the nuclear agreement, which officially took effect in January. The nuclear agreement relaxed or ended many sanctions on Iran, including all previous nuclear-related sanctions imposed by the Security Council, in exchange for sharp reductions in Iran’s nuclear activities and monitored guarantees that they were peaceful.
Mr. Danon, who criticized the nuclear agreement as a pact undertaken “with one of the world’s most dangerous regimes,” asserted that the Iranian missiles were capable of carrying nuclear warheads — weapons that the Iranians do not possess.Mr. Danon, who criticized the nuclear agreement as a pact undertaken “with one of the world’s most dangerous regimes,” asserted that the Iranian missiles were capable of carrying nuclear warheads — weapons that the Iranians do not possess.
“The time for talk is over,” Mr. Danon said. “I call on the Security Council to take action. Iran must be held accountable, and concrete punitive steps must be taken.”“The time for talk is over,” Mr. Danon said. “I call on the Security Council to take action. Iran must be held accountable, and concrete punitive steps must be taken.”
The United States ambassador, Samantha Power, called for the Security Council meeting on Friday amid rising criticism that the Obama administration was not paying sufficient attention to the Iranian missile tests. The United States ambassador, Samantha Power, who called for the Security Council meeting, told reporters afterward that nothing had been decided. But she alluded to friction over the missile issue with Russia’s ambassador, Vitaly I. Churkin, who said the resolution’s language did not forbid Iran to test missiles, but rather called upon Tehran not to test them. “You cannot violate a call,” he told reporters. “The legal distinction is there.”
She called the tests “provocative and destabilizing,” all but accusing Iran of having violated Resolution 2231 and opening the door to possible sanctions. Ms. Power rejected that view. “The Council needs to take its responsibility, and Russia seems to be lawyering its way to look for reasons not to act rather than stepping up and being prepared to shoulder our collective responsibility,” she said.
China and Russia — permanent members of the Security Council, as are the United States, Britain and France — were expected to disagree with the United States and its allies on the missile tests, leaving unclear what action, if any, the Council might take. Asked what action the United States might seek, Ms. Power did not specify, but said it would continue pressing at the Security Council and would show that the Iranian missiles, by Iran’s own technical disclosures, “were inherently capable of delivering nuclear weapons and thus inherently defying Resolution 2231.”
Matthew Rycroft, Britain’s ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters before the meeting that his government believed that “Iran is in blatant disregard of Resolution 2231, and we will be formally asking the Secretariat to report on the missile launches.”Matthew Rycroft, Britain’s ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters before the meeting that his government believed that “Iran is in blatant disregard of Resolution 2231, and we will be formally asking the Secretariat to report on the missile launches.”
Asked if the Council would take immediate action, Mr. Rycroft said, “I wouldn’t expect any agreed Council product as a result of this meeting, but I think it’s an important first step.” He called the meeting “an important first step.”