Dehghan: Emad Missile is Completely Conventional

Following reports regarding the 'violation' of UN Security Council Resolution 1929 after the test of the 'Emad' missile, Iran's Minister of Defense described this missile as 'completely conventional' and emphasized that the Islamic Republic would not accept 'any limitations' on its missile program. According to the state news agency IRNA, Hossein Dehghan stated on Wednesday, December 25, that the purpose of testing this missile 'amidst pressure and propaganda' from Western parties was to declare that 'no one and no power anywhere in the world' can dictate terms to the Islamic Republic. He stressed: 'From the very first day the JCPOA was accepted until today, not for a moment, a day, or an hour have our various tests been delayed, nor have we limited our exercises, production, and research activities, and we have not hesitated to announce them.' On October 11, the same day the Iranian parliament approved the general plan for implementing the Vienna nuclear agreement, the Iranian Ministry of Defense announced the test of a new ballistic missile named 'Emad.' The Iranian Defense Minister did not specify the exact range of this missile but stated that the 'Emad' missile is a 'long-range' missile. American officials have claimed that the 'Emad' missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, a claim that Iran has denied. Meanwhile, a group of observers on Iran's sanctions at the United Nations stated in a recent report that the 'Emad' missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, which constitutes a violation under paragraph nine of Security Council Resolution 1929. Samantha Power, the U.S. representative at the United Nations, also stated after the report's release that the U.S. would apply pressure for practical actions against Tehran. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, had previously stated that Tehran considers the resolutions prior to Resolution 2231 as 'invalid' and does not feel obligated to implement them. Resolution 2231 of the Security Council also calls on Iran to refrain from any activities related to ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technologies, for eight years after the 'day of acceptance of the nuclear agreement.' The Islamic Republic has declared that the provisions of this resolution regarding 'defensive capabilities' and especially Iran's missiles are 'rejected' and that it 'will not accept them.' In this context, the U.S. is 'seriously' reviewing Iran's new missile test, stating that Iran has 'violated' the UN resolution with the 'Emad' test.