Iran said on Saturday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-will-not-abandon-its-missile-programme-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-224364">missile tests</a> were part of its defensive needs and were not directed against any country, after Washington said Tehran had test-fired a medium-range missile.

A US defence official said Iran tested what appeared to be a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-military-drone-shot-down-in-international-airspace-by-iranian-missile-official-228888"> medium-range ballistic missile</a> on Wednesday that travelled about 1,000 km (620 miles), adding that the test did not pose a threat to shipping or US personnel in the region.

"An informed source at the staff of the armed forces said Iran's missile tests are natural within its defensive needs. This missile capacity is not against any country, and only aims to respond to possible aggression," Iranian news agencies reported.

"Iran does not need the permission of any power in the world for its self-defence," the reports quoted the military source as saying.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump pulled out of an international agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme last year and stepped up sanctions on Tehran.

He said the nuclear deal was flawed because it did not include curbs on Iran's development of ballistic missiles or its support for proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.

Iran has ruled out talks with Washington over its military capabilities, particularly the missile programme that it says is defensive. It denies the missiles are capable of being tipped with nuclear warheads and says its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Iran said on Saturday missile tests were part of its defensive needs and were not directed against any country, after Washington said Tehran had test-fired a medium-range missile.

Iran said on Saturday missile tests were part of its defensive needs and were not directed against any country, after Washington said Tehran had test-fired a medium-range missile. A US defence official said Iran tested what appeared to be a medium-range ballistic missile on Wednesday that travelled about 1,000 km (620 miles), adding that the test did not pose a threat to shipping or US personnel in the region. "An informed source at the staff of the armed forces said Iran's missile tests are natural within its defensive needs. This missile capacity is not against any country, and only aims to respond to possible aggression," Iranian news agencies reported. "Iran does not need the permission of any power in the world for its self-defence," the reports quoted the military source as saying. US President Donald Trump pulled out of an international agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme last year and stepped up sanctions on Tehran. He said the nuclear deal was flawed because it did not include curbs on Iran's development of ballistic missiles or its support for proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq. Iran has ruled out talks with Washington over its military capabilities, particularly the missile programme that it says is defensive. It denies the missiles are capable of being tipped with nuclear warheads and says its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Iran says missile tests defensive, needs no one's permission

Iran said on Saturday that it had successfully tested a new medium-range missile in defiance of warnings from Washington that it was ready to ditch a landmark nuclear deal over the issue.

State television carried footage of the launch of the Khoramshahr missile, which was first displayed at a high-profile military parade in Tehran on Friday.

It also carried in-flight video from the nose cone.

The broadcaster did not say when the test had been conducted, although officials had said on Friday that it would be tested &quot;soon&quot;.

Previous Iranian missile launches have triggered US sanctions and accusations that they violate the spirit of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers.

President Donald Trump has threatened to bin the agreement over the issue, saying that Iran`s missile programme could give it the technical knowhow for a delivery system for a nuclear warhead when a sunset clause in the deal expires in 2025.

He is due to report to Congress on October 15 on whether he believes Iran is in compliance with the nuclear deal and whether it remains in US interests to stick by it.&nbsp;

If he decides that it is not, that could open the way for US lawmakers to reimpose sanctions, leading to the potential collapse of the agreement.

Trump said on Wednesday he had made his decision but was not yet ready to reveal it.

The other signatories to the deal -- Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and the EU -- have all pushed for the deal to continue.&nbsp;

They say Iran has stuck to its commitments -- as repeatedly stated by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

They say that the nuclear deal was never intended to address other issues.

At Friday&#39;s military parade, President Hassan Rouhani vowed that Iran would press ahead with its missile programme regardless of the warnings from Washington.

&quot;We will strengthen not only our missiles but also our air, land and sea forces... When it comes to defending our country, we will ask nobody for their permission,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Revolutionary Guards aerospace commander General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said the new Khoramshahr missile has a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) and can carry multiple warheads.

Iran says all of its missiles are designed to carry conventional warheads only and has limited their range to a maximum of 2,000 kilometres, although commanders say they have the technology to go further.

That makes them only medium-range but still sufficient to reach Israel or US bases in the Gulf.

As well as carrying out missile tests, Iran has also launched a space satellite and fired missiles at Islamic State group targets in eastern Syria in recent months.

Iran has said repeatedly that it has no choice but to boost its defences as its regional rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia sign huge arms contracts with Washington and other Western governments.

Rouhani hit out on Friday at those who &quot;create problems for the peoples of our region every day and boast of selling arms to the bloodthirsty Zionist regime which has been attacking the peoples of our region for 70 years like a cancerous tumour.&quot;&nbsp;

Iran said it had successfully tested a new medium-range missile in defiance of warnings from Washington that it was ready to ditch a landmark nuclear deal over the issue

Iran said on Saturday that it had successfully tested a new medium-range missile in defiance of warnings from Washington that it was ready to ditch a landmark nuclear deal over the issue. State television carried footage of the launch of the Khoramshahr missile, which was first displayed at a high-profile military parade in Tehran on Friday. It also carried in-flight video from the nose cone. The broadcaster did not say when the test had been conducted, although officials had said on Friday that it would be tested "soon". Previous Iranian missile launches have triggered US sanctions and accusations that they violate the spirit of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers. President Donald Trump has threatened to bin the agreement over the issue, saying that Iran`s missile programme could give it the technical knowhow for a delivery system for a nuclear warhead when a sunset clause in the deal expires in 2025. He is due to report to Congress on October 15 on whether he believes Iran is in compliance with the nuclear deal and whether it remains in US interests to stick by it. If he decides that it is not, that could open the way for US lawmakers to reimpose sanctions, leading to the potential collapse of the agreement. Trump said on Wednesday he had made his decision but was not yet ready to reveal it. The other signatories to the deal -- Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and the EU -- have all pushed for the deal to continue. They say Iran has stuck to its commitments -- as repeatedly stated by the International Atomic Energy Agency. They say that the nuclear deal was never intended to address other issues. At Friday's military parade, President Hassan Rouhani vowed that Iran would press ahead with its missile programme regardless of the warnings from Washington. "We will strengthen not only our missiles but also our air, land and sea forces... When it comes to defending our country, we will ask nobody for their permission," he said. Revolutionary Guards aerospace commander General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said the new Khoramshahr missile has a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) and can carry multiple warheads. Iran says all of its missiles are designed to carry conventional warheads only and has limited their range to a maximum of 2,000 kilometres, although commanders say they have the technology to go further. That makes them only medium-range but still sufficient to reach Israel or US bases in the Gulf. As well as carrying out missile tests, Iran has also launched a space satellite and fired missiles at Islamic State group targets in eastern Syria in recent months. Iran has said repeatedly that it has no choice but to boost its defences as its regional rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia sign huge arms contracts with Washington and other Western governments. Rouhani hit out on Friday at those who "create problems for the peoples of our region every day and boast of selling arms to the bloodthirsty Zionist regime which has been attacking the peoples of our region for 70 years like a cancerous tumour."

Iran tests new missile defying US warnings

Iran announced it will take &quot;reciprocal action&quot; against US individuals and companies after President Donald Trump&#39;s administration on Friday imposed new sanctions on Tehran over its weapons procurement network.

&quot;The Islamic Republic of Iran, in response to the new move by the United States of America and as a reciprocal action, will impose legal limitations for some American individuals and companies that have had a role in the creation and support of extreme terrorist groups in the region,&quot; the foreign ministry said in a statement.

US officials said its measures were in response to Iran&#39;s latest ballistic missile test and its support for Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen who in the past week targeted a Saudi warship

(AFP)

Iran announced reciprocal action on US after it was hit by fresh sanctions by Trump administration

Iran announced it will take "reciprocal action" against US individuals and companies after President Donald Trump's administration on Friday imposed new sanctions on Tehran over its weapons procurement network. "The Islamic Republic of Iran, in response to the new move by the United States of America and as a reciprocal action, will impose legal limitations for some American individuals and companies that have had a role in the creation and support of extreme terrorist groups in the region," the foreign ministry said in a statement. US officials said its measures were in response to Iran's latest ballistic missile test and its support for Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen who in the past week targeted a Saudi warship (AFP)

Iran's riposte to US sanctions: To put restrictions on US individuals, firms that back 'regional extremist groups'

What started the problem?

On Sunday (January 29), a White House official, requesting anonymity, said Iran had conducted a ballistic missile test from a site east of Tehran.

But a United States defence official told CNN that the test failed and posed no immediate threat to the US or countries in the Middle East. The&nbsp;missile exploded after 630 miles (1,010 kms), the official said.

Iran&#39;s alleged violation of the nuclear deal signed by it and six world powers in 2015 has raised concerns around the world, especially in the Middle East and the US.

A United Nations resolution had barred Tehran from developing &quot;ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads&quot;.&nbsp;

That resolution ratified the July 2015 nuclear accord which aimed to scale down Tehran&#39;s nuclear activity.

In return, Iran won relief from debilitating economic sanctions.

International reaction

Iran&#39;s alleged contravention of Security Council Resolution 2231 has received widespread condemnation.

The United States, in particular, has come down hard on Tehran. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said Iran&#39;s action is &quot;absolutely unacceptable&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;The United States is not naive. We are not going to stand by. You will see us call them out as we said we would and you are also going to see us act accordingly,&quot; Haley said.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner dubbed Tehran&#39;s action as &quot;provocative&quot; and &quot;irresponsible&quot;.

French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Iran had breached the nuclear accord that was so painfully drawn up and agreed to by Tehran and the six world powers --&nbsp;United States, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France.

But he added that they were still in favour of the continuation of the nuclear deal and wants Tehran to avoid activities &quot;that could put the accord in jeopardy&quot;.

&quot;This deal has to be rigorously kept to,&quot; Ayrault said.

Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the missile test was a &quot;flagrant violation&quot; of the UN resolution. He also said he would raise the matter with the US later this month to impose stricter sanctions on Tehran. On his Facebook page, the Israeli premier said: &quot;Iranian aggression must not go unanswered.&quot;

Russia, however, has backed Iran, saying the missile test rumours were being circulated to &quot;heat up the situation&quot;.

&quot;Such actions, if they took place, do not breach the resolution,&quot; Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency,&nbsp;

What does Iran say?

Tehran has neither confirmed nor denied the missile test. But they have denied contravention of the nuclear accord.

Earlier, the country&#39;s foreign minister,&nbsp;Javad Zarif, said the missile&nbsp;was not a part of the nuclear accord&nbsp;and insisted that Iran &quot;will never use missiles produced in Iran to attack any other country&quot;.

&quot;No Iranian missiles have been produced to carry nuclear warheads,&quot; said Zarif, speaking at a joint news conference held with Ayrault in Tehran on Wednesday (February 1).

Zarif said the country&#39;s missiles are &quot;not designed for the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead&quot;. Instead, they were testing the missiles as part of a self-defence exercise.

Later in the day,&nbsp;&nbsp;Iran&#39;s defense minister said confirmed the Islamic Republic had tested a new missile, but added the test did not breach Tehran&#39;s nuclear accord.

&quot;The recent test was in line with our plans and we will not allow foreigners to interfere in our defense affairs,&quot; Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan said, according to Tasnim news agency.

&quot;The test did not violate the nuclear deal or the (UN) resolution 2231,&quot; he said.

So where does it all lead to?

Israel has been vocal about the alleged violation, mainly because it wants the US to renew sanctions on Iran. Other countries in the Middle East and Israel were up in arms when the previous US administration, under Barack Obama, had decided to lift the crippling sanctions that had been in place on the Shia-dominated country.

Israel&#39;s criticism, in particular, seems to be a subtle way of pushing the Donald Trump administration to act tough on Iran. The matter is expected to come up when the leaders of the two countries meet in a fortnight&#39;s time.

Trump&#39;s action against Iran will be his first litmus test, more so because the United States president has previously demonstrated his hawkish stance against Tehran.

During the poll campaign, Trump had said he would blow up Iranian vessels &quot;out of the water&quot; if they threatened US ships. But the problem is that Trump has long stated downscaling of US presence in the Middle East. What remains to be seen is whether Trump will reimpose strict sanctions on Tehran or get into a diplomatic loggerheads with them.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Tehran said it was not a breach of the accord it signed with 6 world powers in 2015. So what happens next?

What started the problem? On Sunday (January 29), a White House official, requesting anonymity, said Iran had conducted a ballistic missile test from a site east of Tehran. But a United States defence official told CNN that the test failed and posed no immediate threat to the US or countries in the Middle East. The missile exploded after 630 miles (1,010 kms), the official said. Iran's alleged violation of the nuclear deal signed by it and six world powers in 2015 has raised concerns around the world, especially in the Middle East and the US. A United Nations resolution had barred Tehran from developing "ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads". That resolution ratified the July 2015 nuclear accord which aimed to scale down Tehran's nuclear activity. In return, Iran won relief from debilitating economic sanctions. International reaction Iran's alleged contravention of Security Council Resolution 2231 has received widespread condemnation. The United States, in particular, has come down hard on Tehran. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said Iran's action is "absolutely unacceptable". "The United States is not naive. We are not going to stand by. You will see us call them out as we said we would and you are also going to see us act accordingly," Haley said. US State Department spokesman Mark Toner dubbed Tehran's action as "provocative" and "irresponsible". French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Iran had breached the nuclear accord that was so painfully drawn up and agreed to by Tehran and the six world powers -- United States, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France. But he added that they were still in favour of the continuation of the nuclear deal and wants Tehran to avoid activities "that could put the accord in jeopardy". "This deal has to be rigorously kept to," Ayrault said. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the missile test was a "flagrant violation" of the UN resolution. He also said he would raise the matter with the US later this month to impose stricter sanctions on Tehran. On his Facebook page, the Israeli premier said: "Iranian aggression must not go unanswered." Russia, however, has backed Iran, saying the missile test rumours were being circulated to "heat up the situation". "Such actions, if they took place, do not breach the resolution," Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency, What does Iran say? Tehran has neither confirmed nor denied the missile test. But they have denied contravention of the nuclear accord. Earlier, the country's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said the missile was not a part of the nuclear accord and insisted that Iran "will never use missiles produced in Iran to attack any other country". "No Iranian missiles have been produced to carry nuclear warheads," said Zarif, speaking at a joint news conference held with Ayrault in Tehran on Wednesday (February 1). Zarif said the country's missiles are "not designed for the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead". Instead, they were testing the missiles as part of a self-defence exercise. Later in the day, Iran's defense minister said confirmed the Islamic Republic had tested a new missile, but added the test did not breach Tehran's nuclear accord. "The recent test was in line with our plans and we will not allow foreigners to interfere in our defense affairs," Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan said, according to Tasnim news agency. "The test did not violate the nuclear deal or the (UN) resolution 2231," he said. So where does it all lead to? Israel has been vocal about the alleged violation, mainly because it wants the US to renew sanctions on Iran. Other countries in the Middle East and Israel were up in arms when the previous US administration, under Barack Obama, had decided to lift the crippling sanctions that had been in place on the Shia-dominated country. Israel's criticism, in particular, seems to be a subtle way of pushing the Donald Trump administration to act tough on Iran. The matter is expected to come up when the leaders of the two countries meet in a fortnight's time. Trump's action against Iran will be his first litmus test, more so because the United States president has previously demonstrated his hawkish stance against Tehran. During the poll campaign, Trump had said he would blow up Iranian vessels "out of the water" if they threatened US ships. But the problem is that Trump has long stated downscaling of US presence in the Middle East. What remains to be seen is whether Trump will reimpose strict sanctions on Tehran or get into a diplomatic loggerheads with them. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Iran tests ballistic missile, sparks flutter and fury

Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan confirmed on Wednesday that Iran had tested a ballistic missile, but denied that was a breach of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

&quot;The action was in line with boosting Iran&#39;s defence power and is not in contradiction with the JCPOA (the nuclear deal) or Resolution 2231,&quot; Dehghan said, according to the ISNA news agency, referring to a UN resolution that bans Iran from developing missiles that can carry nuclear warheads. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Iran's defence minister, who confirmed the test, denied that was a breach of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers

Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan confirmed on Wednesday that Iran had tested a ballistic missile, but denied that was a breach of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. "The action was in line with boosting Iran's defence power and is not in contradiction with the JCPOA (the nuclear deal) or Resolution 2231," Dehghan said, according to the ISNA news agency, referring to a UN resolution that bans Iran from developing missiles that can carry nuclear warheads. (AFP)

Iran confirms ballistic missile test, denies breach of nuclear deal

The United States on Tuesday raised alarm at the United Nations over Iran`s test-firing of a medium range missile, calling it &quot;absolutely unacceptable&quot;, after Tehran warned the United States against fuelling tensions.

New US Ambassador Nikki Haley had requested the urgent consultations at the UN Security Council -- the first action taken by the envoy just days into her mandate.

The row comes against a backdrop of already strained relations between Washington and the Islamic republic over US President Donald Trump`s travel ban on citizens from Iran and six other Muslim-majority countries.

&quot;We have confirmed that Iran did have a medium-size missile launch testing on January 29, on Sunday. This is absolutely unacceptable,&quot; Haley told reporters following a closed-door council meeting.

The ambassador accused Iran of trying to convince the world that &quot;they are being nice&quot; before adding: &quot;I will tell the people across the world that is something we should be alarmed about.&quot;

&quot;The United States is not naive. We are not going to stand by. You will see us call them out,&quot; warned Haley.

&quot;We are committed to making them understand that this is not anything that we will ever accept.&quot;

Tehran has neither confirmed nor denied firing any missiles at the weekend.

Under a council resolution that endorsed the historic nuclear deal with Iran, Tehran is barred from developing missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads.

Any violation of that resolution could trigger a snapback of sanctions that were lifted under the nuclear agreement, opening up the Iranian economy to investment and opportunities. The US ambassador challenged Iran`s assertion that its missiles are not in violation of the UN resolution because they are for defense purposes and not designed to carry nuclear warheads.&nbsp;

&quot;They know that they are not supposed to be doing ballistic missile testing&quot; of anything that can carry warheads, said Haley.

The missile launched Sunday was capable of carrying a 500-kilogram payload and had a range of 300 kilometers, she said.

&quot;That is more than enough to be able to deliver a nuclear weapon.&quot;

Earlier, Iran cautioned Washington not to push too hard.

&quot;We hope that Iran`s defense program is not used by the new US administration... as a pretext to create new tensions,&quot; Iran`s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told a press conference in Tehran.

&quot;We have always declared that we will never use our weapons against others except in our defense,&quot; Zarif added, with French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault at his side.

He slammed the new US administration`s &quot;shameful act of denying entry to people holding legal visas&quot; for the United States.

The European Union, which helped broker the landmark nuclear deal between major powers and Iran, had appealed to Tehran to refrain from activities such as the missile tests, &quot;which deepen mistrust&quot;.

Ayrault said France had made clear its disquiet over the missile tests, calling them &quot;contrary to the spirit&quot; of the Security Council resolution&nbsp;

Britain maintains that the test is &quot;inconsistent&quot; with UN resolutions, but has not declared the launch to be a violation.

But the diplomatic push by the West quickly ran into trouble as Russia said a missile test would not breach the UN resolution.

Moscow, which is fighting alongside Tehran`s forces in Syria, said the demand for emergency talks at the Security Council was aimed at &quot;heating up the situation&quot;.

&quot;Such actions, if they took place, do not breach the resolution,&quot; Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency.

The Security Council requested a report on the missile launch from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and from a committee set up after the council endorsed the Iran nuclear deal, British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said.

That report would then allow the council to determine whether the resolution has been violated and whether it should consider re-imposing sanctions.

The UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which includes terms of the nuclear accord, was adopted in July 2015.

It states that Iran &quot;is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology&quot;.

Russia and China have opposed discussion about a return to possible sanctions against Iran, arguing that it would jeopardize the hard-fought nuclear deal.

Trump has sharply criticized the deal between Tehran and world powers, which led to a lifting of international sanctions against Iran, and has vowed to strengthen ties with Israel, which opposes the agreement.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Nikki Haley had requested urgent consultations at the UN Security Council and termed Iran's missile test unacceptable

The United States on Tuesday raised alarm at the United Nations over Iran`s test-firing of a medium range missile, calling it "absolutely unacceptable", after Tehran warned the United States against fuelling tensions. New US Ambassador Nikki Haley had requested the urgent consultations at the UN Security Council -- the first action taken by the envoy just days into her mandate. The row comes against a backdrop of already strained relations between Washington and the Islamic republic over US President Donald Trump`s travel ban on citizens from Iran and six other Muslim-majority countries. "We have confirmed that Iran did have a medium-size missile launch testing on January 29, on Sunday. This is absolutely unacceptable," Haley told reporters following a closed-door council meeting. The ambassador accused Iran of trying to convince the world that "they are being nice" before adding: "I will tell the people across the world that is something we should be alarmed about." "The United States is not naive. We are not going to stand by. You will see us call them out," warned Haley. "We are committed to making them understand that this is not anything that we will ever accept." Tehran has neither confirmed nor denied firing any missiles at the weekend. Under a council resolution that endorsed the historic nuclear deal with Iran, Tehran is barred from developing missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads. Any violation of that resolution could trigger a snapback of sanctions that were lifted under the nuclear agreement, opening up the Iranian economy to investment and opportunities. The US ambassador challenged Iran`s assertion that its missiles are not in violation of the UN resolution because they are for defense purposes and not designed to carry nuclear warheads. "They know that they are not supposed to be doing ballistic missile testing" of anything that can carry warheads, said Haley. The missile launched Sunday was capable of carrying a 500-kilogram payload and had a range of 300 kilometers, she said. "That is more than enough to be able to deliver a nuclear weapon." Earlier, Iran cautioned Washington not to push too hard. "We hope that Iran`s defense program is not used by the new US administration... as a pretext to create new tensions," Iran`s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told a press conference in Tehran. "We have always declared that we will never use our weapons against others except in our defense," Zarif added, with French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault at his side. He slammed the new US administration`s "shameful act of denying entry to people holding legal visas" for the United States. The European Union, which helped broker the landmark nuclear deal between major powers and Iran, had appealed to Tehran to refrain from activities such as the missile tests, "which deepen mistrust". Ayrault said France had made clear its disquiet over the missile tests, calling them "contrary to the spirit" of the Security Council resolution Britain maintains that the test is "inconsistent" with UN resolutions, but has not declared the launch to be a violation. But the diplomatic push by the West quickly ran into trouble as Russia said a missile test would not breach the UN resolution. Moscow, which is fighting alongside Tehran`s forces in Syria, said the demand for emergency talks at the Security Council was aimed at "heating up the situation". "Such actions, if they took place, do not breach the resolution," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency. The Security Council requested a report on the missile launch from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and from a committee set up after the council endorsed the Iran nuclear deal, British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said. That report would then allow the council to determine whether the resolution has been violated and whether it should consider re-imposing sanctions. The UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which includes terms of the nuclear accord, was adopted in July 2015. It states that Iran "is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology". Russia and China have opposed discussion about a return to possible sanctions against Iran, arguing that it would jeopardize the hard-fought nuclear deal. Trump has sharply criticized the deal between Tehran and world powers, which led to a lifting of international sanctions against Iran, and has vowed to strengthen ties with Israel, which opposes the agreement. (AFP)

Iran's missile test 'absolutely unacceptable', says newly appointed US envoy to United Nations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran on Monday of launching a ballistic missile in what he said constitutes a &quot;flagrant violation&quot; of a UN Security Council resolution.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Netanyahu said he intended to &quot;raise the renewal of sanctions against Iran in this context and in other contexts&quot; in his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The White House said on Monday that Trump will host Netanyahu on February 15.

Israel`s archfoe Iran has carried out a number of missile tests in recent months, which the United States and European governments have said are a breach of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.

Western powers say the missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads and therefore go against the deal, while Iran says its missile programme is &quot;non-negotiable&quot;.

Israel had opposed the deal between Iran and major powers, which lifted a wide range of international sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran`s nuclear programme.

&quot;Iranian aggression must not go unanswered,&quot; Netanyahu wrote on Monday.

(AFP)

Netanyahu, in a social media post, said he intended to bring up the issue of renewal of sanctions against Iran in his meeting with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran on Monday of launching a ballistic missile in what he said constitutes a "flagrant violation" of a UN Security Council resolution. In a statement on his Facebook page, Netanyahu said he intended to "raise the renewal of sanctions against Iran in this context and in other contexts" in his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump. The White House said on Monday that Trump will host Netanyahu on February 15. Israel`s archfoe Iran has carried out a number of missile tests in recent months, which the United States and European governments have said are a breach of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. Western powers say the missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads and therefore go against the deal, while Iran says its missile programme is "non-negotiable". Israel had opposed the deal between Iran and major powers, which lifted a wide range of international sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran`s nuclear programme. "Iranian aggression must not go unanswered," Netanyahu wrote on Monday. (AFP)

Israel's Netanyahu slams Iran for missile test, says will raise 'renewal of sanctions' in meeting with Trump