Iran to severely confront bids hampering missile work

A senior official says Iran will “severely confront” any measure taken to hamper the country’s missile activities.

“We will severely confront any move — be it political, legal, or technical — that hinders our missile program,” Abbas Araqchi, a deputy foreign minister, said on national television on Monday night.

His remarks came in reaction to a report by UN chief Ban Ki-Moon last week, claiming that Iran’s missile tests were not in the spirit of the country’s landmark nuclear deal with world powers.

In his first six-monthly report to the Security Council on implementation of a UN resolution endorsing the landmark deal, Ban called on Iran to stop conducting ballistic missile launches.

Araqchi said Ban’s report about Resolution 2231 elicited a harsh response from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

“Mr. Zarif had a very harsh telephone conversation with Mr. Ban Ki-moon” right after, Araqchi said, adding that Iran however did not take an official stance because the draft was not official.

He said Iran hopes Ban will revise the report for publication, “otherwise, it will entail a harsh treatment from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.”