The United Nations Security Council Holds Meeting to Review Iran's Missile Test

Members of the United Nations Security Council are convening behind closed doors to discuss Iran's latest missile test. The United States claims this test violates UN Security Council Resolution 2231, while Tehran disagrees. The Security Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 4, US time. The Security Council consists of five permanent members: the United States, France, Russia, China, and the United Kingdom, along with 10 temporary members. The issue of the recent missile test in Iran was raised by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Twitter. On December 1, Pompeo stated that the Islamic Republic tested a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. According to the US Secretary of State, testing this type of missile violates UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which was issued after reaching a nuclear agreement with Tehran in July 2015, aimed at confirming it. The resolution calls on Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The United States has urged Europe to impose sanctions on Iran due to its ballistic missile program. The US withdrew from the nuclear agreement with Iran last spring and reinstated related sanctions. Two days after the US Secretary of State's tweet, France also announced that the medium-range missile test raised concerns in Paris, condemning it as 'provocative and destabilizing.' Jeremy Hunt, the UK Foreign Secretary, described the test as 'provocative, threatening, and inconsistent' with the Security Council resolution, stating that London believes it 'must be stopped immediately.' However, Iranian officials have reacted differently. Bahram Qasemi, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, responded to the US Secretary of State on December 2, stating that 'no resolution in the Security Council prohibits Iran's missile program or missile tests.' Qasemi also criticized the US for citing a resolution related to the JCPOA from which the US has effectively withdrawn. The spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces also stated that Tehran will 'definitely' continue its missile tests. Iran's missile program has long been a point of contention between the West and Tehran. Even after the Trump administration's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement, other Washington allies who wish to maintain the JCPOA have joined the US in criticizing the Islamic Republic's missile program. Jeremy Hunt stated on Sunday, 'Our support for the JCPOA in no way diminishes our concerns about Iran's destabilizing missile activities.' However, Iranian officials maintain that the missile program is 'defensive' and 'non-negotiable.' On Monday, Washington called on European countries to impose new and severe sanctions on Iran concerning Tehran's missile programs. Tehran and several European countries are currently working to establish a financial mechanism that would allow Iran access to oil exports and the revenue derived from them. However, it remains unclear how far this financial mechanism has progressed.