US: Pompeo to Attend UN Security Council Meeting on Iran

The US State Department has announced that Mike Pompeo will participate in a UN Security Council meeting on December 12 (21 Azar) in New York to discuss Iran. Earlier reports indicated that Pompeo would also attend a session on Yemen on December 21, where a report related to Iran would be presented. According to the US State Department, Pompeo will emphasize the government's decision to address the threats posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles by the Iranian government. On December 1, Pompeo announced a new missile test in Iran, stating that Iran tested a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, which could target parts of Europe and the entire Middle East, and that this test violates UN Security Council Resolution 2231. This resolution was established following the nuclear agreement and aimed to endorse it, requesting Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads. Iranian officials did not deny the test following Pompeo's statement. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that 'these missiles are not produced for carrying nuclear weapons.' The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry also mentioned that 'no resolution in the Security Council prohibits Iran's missile program or missile tests.' Washington is not the only one objecting to Iran's missile program; recently, France and Britain, two other permanent members of the UN Security Council, have also expressed concern about this issue, describing it as inconsistent with the UN resolution. Reports indicate that on December 21, a report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres regarding Yemen and related to Iran will also be presented at the Security Council meeting. According to Reuters, this confidential report states that two anti-tank missile launchers found by the Arab coalition in Yemen appear to be of Iranian manufacture, dating back to 2016 and 2017. Another part of the report mentions that the UN tested a surface-to-air missile, parts of which were provided by the Saudi-led coalition, and concluded that its details resemble those of Iranian-made missiles. Reuters reported that Guterres did not specify whether the recent findings contradict UN Security Council sanctions. It is expected that Mike Pompeo will participate in the meeting on Wednesday regarding this report.