Early on Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Tehran not to go ahead with a series of rocket launches which he said violated international law. The pre-emptive warning was shot down by Iranian foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif who denied Tehran’s three planned space rocket launches were banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions. Mr Pompeo had said Iran is planning to launch a trio of Space Launch Vehicles over the coming months using technology which is “virtually identical” to that used in intercontinental ballistic missiles.
In the warning to Iran, President Trump’s right-hand man said: “The United States will not stand by and watch the Iranian regime’s destructive policies place international stability and security at risk.”
Mr Pompeo added: “We advise the regime to reconsider these provocative launches and cease all activities related to ballistic missiles in order to avoid deeper economic and diplomatic isolation.”
The US Secretary of State said Iran’s rocket launches violated UNSC Resolution 2231 which had backed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which President Trump pulled the US out of in May last year.
The ruling’s wording “calls upon” Iran not to pursue such technology but does not ban them outright as an earlier terminated ruling did.
In a direct threat to Washington, Mr Zarif defied America by writing in English on Twitter: ”Iran’s launch of space vehicles – & missile tests – are NOT in violation of (Resolution) 2231.
“The US is in material breach of same, & as such it is in no position to lecture anyone on it.
Mr Zarif added: “Reminder to the US: 1. Res 1929 is dead; 2. threats engender threats, while civility begets civility.”
His tweets were accompanied by mocked up images of two UN Security Council resolutions which he claimed to back up his point.
The first image, of Resolution 1929, refers to the ruling which banned Iran from “undertaking any activity related to ballistic missiles.”
Mr Zarif captioned the image, “Resolution 1929 is DEAD no matter how much the US loved it.”
The second image, an extract of Resolution 2231, states that: “Iran is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles DESIGNED to be capable.”
Mr Zarif added that resolution “is VALID, regardless of US disdain and defiance.”
Iran’s deputy defence minister General Qassem Tagizadeh said in November last year that Tehran would soon be launching three satellites into space.
However Iran has repeatedly denied US accusations that it has developed missiles which can carry nuclear warheads.
Mr Pompeo claimed Iran has launched numerous ballistic missiles since the 2015 resolution was adopted.
He said the most recent test was of a medium-range ballistic missile on December 1.