Warning from France and the U.S.; Tehran may face new sanctions

In the latest reaction to Iran's recent missile test, the U.S. Secretary of State has called it a violation of UN resolutions, and the French Foreign Minister has warned Tehran that it may face new sanctions from the European Union as a result. Jean-Marc Ayrault, the new French Foreign Minister, hosted the foreign ministers of the U.S., Britain, Germany, Italy, and the EU's foreign policy chief in Paris on Sunday, March 14, and after the meeting, he reminded that 'sanctions will be imposed if necessary.' French and German news agencies reported that John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, also stated that Iran's actions constitute a violation of UN resolutions. According to the German news agency, John Kerry emphasized after meeting with his European counterparts that 'Iran's missile test is considered a violation of the Security Council resolution because its range exceeds the permitted level.' The U.S. Secretary of State noted that the range of the new missiles could be 'a potential threat to regional countries and beyond.' Kerry added that 'with respect to Iran, we have made it clear that missile concerns remain part of sanctionable activities, and if violating [the resolutions] is Iran's intention, they will face additional sanctions, just as we imposed last month as a consequence of previous [missile] tests.' The U.S. is calling for a review of Iran's recent missile test at the UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday, and in this regard, Samantha Power, the U.S. representative to the UN, stated that Washington will raise this issue at the Security Council consultation meeting and will ask other countries to cooperate in countering Iran's missile program. Power also noted on Friday that these missile tests affirm the reality that we must work with our allies in the international community to slow down and weaken Iran's missile program. The Revolutionary Guards announced last week that they tested two long-range missiles with a range of 2000 kilometers during the 'Valayat Power' exercise, and in response, the U.S., France, and other countries stated that Iran's ballistic missile tests violate Security Council resolution 2231. Additionally, the U.S. representative to the UN believes that Iran's missile tests are 'provocative and destabilizing.' Iran's recent missile test has sparked significant reactions both domestically and internationally, with the Israeli Prime Minister also calling the recent missile test 'a violation of the JCPOA' and demanding 'punishment' for Iran in this regard. However, in Iran, the Foreign Ministry spokesman stated that the recent Revolutionary Guards exercise and the tested missiles do not conflict with the nuclear agreement and 'even Security Council resolution 2231,' as the launched missiles 'were not designed for carrying nuclear warheads.' Hassan Jaberi Ansari concluded that Iran's missile program 'does not contradict the defined terms in Security Council resolution 2231 and its annexes, and the claim of violating the mentioned resolution is rejected.' Security Council resolution 2231 was issued in support of the Vienna nuclear agreement and calls on Tehran to refrain from any activities related to ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear weapons for eight years. Meanwhile, Reuters has assessed the recent missile tests by the Revolutionary Guards as indicative of escalating disputes between hardliners and President Hassan Rouhani's government over normalizing relations with the international community.