Iran shows fangs

I ran confirmed yesterday that it had carried out a recent missile test after Western powers sharply criticised a December 1 launch of medium-range ballistic missiles. “We are continuing our missile tests and this recent one was a significant test,” the Fars news agency reported, citing Revolutionary Guards aerospace commander Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh. “The US reaction showed that it was a big thing for them and that it upset them,” Hajizadeh said, adding that Iran carried out between 40 and 50 missile tests a year. He said the test had put Washington “under pressure,” Fars reported.

Iran reined in most of its nuclear programme under a landmark 2015 deal with major powers but has continued to develop its ballistic missile technology. A UN Security Council resolution adopted after the agreement calls on Iran to refrain from testing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear weapon, but does not specifically bar Tehran from missile launches. The Security Council convened at the request of Britain and France on December 4 to discuss the latest test, which both governments described as “provocative” and “inconsistent” with Resolution 2231.