Iraqi: If a Resolution Contradicts National Interests, We Will Act According to Our Policies

A senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team emphasized the non-binding nature of the UN Security Council resolution regarding Iran's missile program, stating that "wherever we see a resolution contradicting national interests and reason, we will act according to our policies." According to the IRIB news agency, Abbas Araqchi, Iran's chief negotiator, also stressed on Wednesday, July 31, that "we will not spare any effort in meeting our defense needs..." He further stated that "none" of the Islamic Republic's missiles are designed to carry nuclear warheads and that "all of Iran's missiles fall outside the jurisdiction of the Security Council resolution." The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister also highlighted that "violating a resolution is not equivalent to violating an agreement and cannot lead to the reinstatement of sanctions." He added, "Just as compliance and non-compliance with the agreement has consequences, compliance and non-compliance with the resolution will also have consequences." Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, mentioned in a session on Tuesday that the annex concerning ballistic missiles in the Security Council resolution is "presented in a non-binding manner and the term designed for the capability to carry nuclear weapons is being added to the Security Council resolution for the first time." A day before Zarif's remarks, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, stated that parts of the draft resolution "will never be accepted" and "lack credibility." The UN Security Council resolution allows the delivery of ballistic missile technology and heavy weapons to Iran, with the approval of Security Council members, but the United States has stated it will veto such measures. The resolution also maintains restrictions on ballistic missile technology for eight years and on heavy weapons for five years. The Security Council resolution also keeps conventional arms sanctions against Iran for five years. "The S-300 system is outside the jurisdiction of the Security Council resolution," a senior member of the Iranian negotiation team stated on Wednesday, adding that the S-300 missile defense system is not among the seven weapons whose sale to Iran is subject to restrictions and that "the purchase of this system is outside the jurisdiction of the recent Security Council resolution." Although the Islamic Republic of Iran signed a contract to purchase the S-300 air defense system from Russia in 2005, Moscow announced in mid-October 2010 that it would refrain from delivering this air defense system to Iran in line with the latest Security Council sanctions resolution against the Islamic Republic. However, the state-owned Russian arms manufacturer Almaz-Antey announced on Tuesday, June 12, that all political restrictions on the delivery of the S-300 missile defense system to Iran have now been lifted and that the sale of these weapons to Iran will proceed if a commercial agreement is reached. Araqchi also mentioned that the potential military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program are "not related to the Vienna agreement." He expressed confidence that the ambiguity regarding the potential military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program or PMD could be "reasonably resolved while respecting the concerns of both parties." He also stated that the issue of potential military dimensions in Iran's nuclear program is "not related to the nuclear agreement in Vienna and is not part of it." According to a "roadmap" signed on Tuesday, July 23, just hours before the official announcement of the comprehensive nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1, the two sides reached a "separate agreement" regarding the military site of Parchin. However, this section of the new roadmap between Iran and the Agency does not refer to any details of this "separate arrangement." The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister also announced that Federica Mogherini, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, and Laurent Fabius, the French Foreign Minister, will visit Iran next week. Following the achievement of the nuclear agreement between the P5+1 and Iran, several world leaders and representatives of major oil and international trade companies have expressed readiness to travel to Iran and begin joint oil and trade projects.