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U.S., Russia differ on Iran's missile launch at UN Security Council

Xinhua, March 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

The UN Security Council on Monday held a closed-door meeting on Iran's recent missile launch, with the United States and Russia having different positions on the issue.

The 15-nation UN body met behind closed doors at the request of the United States, which is seeking a council response to the March 9 launch of two missiles.

"This merits a council response," Samantha Power, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, told reporters after the council meeting. Currently, Washington is pushing for council action on Iran's missile launch, which Power described as "provocative and destabilizing."

However, Vitaly Churkin, the Russian UN ambassador, told reporters that Iran's launch did not violate relevant Security Council resolutions.

"A call is different from a ban, so legally you cannot violate a call, you can comply with a call or you can ignore the call, but you cannot violate a call," Churkin said. "The legal distinction is there."

Defiant against the U.S. threats over the development of ballistic missiles by Iran, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on March 9 "successfully" test-fired two ballistic missiles in ongoing military drills across the country.

The missiles Qadr-H and Qadr-F were fired from East Alborz heights in northern Iran and could hit the targets in Makran Coasts southeast of the country. The missiles have a range of 1,700 km and 2,000 km respectively.

Earlier this month, the United States said although Iran's recent ballistic missile tests did not violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the issue could be the source of concern for the West and that it might be raised at the Security Council.

JCPOA is an agreement reached in July between Iran and six world powers, including the United States and Russia, after long nuclear negotiations.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said if it was determined that Iran's ballistic missile tests were in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, Tehran could face "some consequences." Enditem