US urges UN to condemn Iran missile test

UNITED NATIONS: The United States on Tuesday urged the UN Security Council to condemn Iran´s ballistic missile test, which it described as "dangerous and concerning" and a violation of a UN resolution.

The council met behind closed doors at the request of France and Britain which along with the United States have accused Iran of test-firing a ballistic missile on Saturday. France and Britain maintain that missile launches are inconsistent with the UN resolution that endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal while the United States has taken a harder stance and maintains it is an outright violation.

"Iran’s recent ballistic missile test was dangerous and concerning, but not surprising," US Ambassador Nikki Haley said in a statement. "The international community cannot keep turning a blind eye every time Iran blatantly ignores Security Council resolutions. If the Security Council is serious about holding Iran accountable and enforcing our resolutions, then at a minimum we should be able to deliver a unanimous condemnation of this provocative missile test," she said.

Iran has neither denied nor confirmed the launch that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said involved a missile of a medium range, capable of carrying multiple warheads and striking parts of Europe and the entire Middle East.