New US bans have no intl. legal ground: Zarif

Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran will “proportionally” respond to new US sanctions on Tehran’s missile program.

“No measure against the Islamic Republic of Iran will go unanswered and we will respond proportionally to any move,” Zarif told the IRIB 1 television channel late Monday night.

Zarif said US claims about Iran’s missile activities are unlawful, citing UN Resolution 2231 which only bans development of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

“While Resolution 1929 banned any missile-related activities, this restraint in Resolution 2231 only includes missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. This is while we basically do not need such missiles,” he said.

“This US claim has no international ground and, as per the directive of President (Hassan Rouhani), we will continue our missile activities more than before with the aim of deterrence,” Zarif added.