U.S. Presses U.N. Over Iran's Missiles
U.S. Presses U.N. Over Iran's Missiles
UNITED NATIONS—Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said the U.S. would form and lead a coalition of countries to oppose Iran’s ballistic missiles in an attempt to curb the program and its development.
Mr. Pompeo, attending a U.N. Security Council semiannual meeting on Iran, said the council should not lift an arms embargo on Iran as scheduled in 2020 and should toughen inspection and surveillance activities in “ports and high seas” to block Iran from weapon transfers.
“Our goodwill gestures have been futile correctives to the Iranian regime’s reckless missile activity—and all other destructive behaviors,” Mr. Pompeo said.
A Security Council resolution that went into effect in 2015 after Iran reached a nuclear deal with world powers stipulates an arms embargo on Iran is to be lifted in 2020. The resolution also calls on Iran to refrain from ballistic missile activity for eight years, stopping short of prohibiting missile programs.
The focus on Iran’s missile program, instead of the nuclear deal, marked a new approach by Washington toward other world powers: Instead of convincing allies to abandon the nuclear deal and halt trade with Iran, Mr. Pompeo sought to galvanize support on pressuring Iran over its missiles.
The strategy appeared to be paying off. Mr. Pompeo thanked France, Germany and the U.K. for publicly raising concerns about Iran’s missile program with the U.N. and said many other countries in Asia and Middle East are aligned with the U.S. on this issue.
The European members of the Security Council, a representative of the European Union and U.N. officials briefing the council all expressed concern about Iran’s missile activity, saying it was destabilizing the Middle East and fueling tensions. Iran has been accused of transferring missiles and technology to militant groups from Yemen to Somalia and Iraq.
U.K. Ambassador Karen Pierce told the council that Iran cannot “expect to improve its relations with the rest of the world or ensure its economic prosperity and security while pursuing its current path.”
President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal in May was controversial, serving to isolate the U.S. as the U.N. and most other countries on the council steadfastly supported the agreement as a nonproliferation accomplishment.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said they will remain committed to the nuclear deal as long as financial incentives guaranteed under the pact—lifting of sanctions that enable foreign investments and trade—remain intact.
The European Union is finalizing a plan for a payment system known as the special purpose vehicle to facilitate financial transactions between Iran and foreign companies. U.S. sanctions prevent banks from conducting transactions with Iran.
A report by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres released on Wednesday stated that Iran was in full compliance with the agreement. However, it noted that two launch units for anti-tank guided missiles used by Houthi insurgents in Yemen were likely manufactured in Iran during 2016 and 2017, after a U.N. arms embargo on Iran went into effect in January 2016.
The report also said the U.N. examined the debris from ballistic missiles launched from Yemen and aimed at Saudi Arabia, and found that they shared key design features consistent with Iranian-manufactured ballistic missiles. The U.N. could not determine when these missiles were shipped to Yemen.
The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air force confirmed earlier this month in Iranian media that the country had tested ballistic missiles and said the Islamic Republic had the right to expand its military and missile programs.
Iran’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Eshagh al-Habib told the Security Council on Wednesday that Iran was in compliance with all its commitments under the nuclear deal and charged Washington had violated a U.N. resolution by pulling out of the 2015 deal.
“What we heard today was another series of lies, fabrications, disinformation and deceptive statements by the U.S,” said Mr. al-Habib.
Russia was one of the lone voices on the Security Council backing Iran. As a permanent member with veto power, Russia can effectively block any further sanctions or action against Iran for its missiles program by the council.
Russia’s Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said some countries on the Council depicted the regional behavior of Iran “as though it were the only source of all the woes in the Middle East.”
Write to Farnaz Fassihi at farnaz.fassihi@wsj.com
Appeared in the December 13, 2018, print edition as 'Pompeo Presses U.N. on Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program.'
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