Using Ballistic Missiles No Violation of Nuclear Agreement

(FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that Tehran's ballistic missile production and use is no violation of the nuclear agreement between the country and the world powers.

"Using the ballistic missiles doesn’t violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and it is a violation of a paragraph in the annex of the (UN Security Council) Resolution (2231) which is non-binding," Zarif said in response to questions by legislators in an open session of the parliament in Tehran on Tuesday.

"This paragraph (of the annex) speaks about missiles with nuclear warheads capability and since we don’t design any of our missiles for carrying nuclear weapons, therefore, this paragraph is not related to us at all," he added.

The UNSC unanimously endorsed a draft resolution turning into international law the JCPOA reached between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) group of countries over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program on Monday.

All 15 members of the UNSC voted for the draft UN resolution in New York on Monday, setting the stage for the lifting of Security Council sanctions against Iran.

The text of the draft UN resolution calls for the “full implementation” of the Vienna agreement “on the timetable established,” and urges UN member countries to facilitate the process.

Iran and the six world powers struck a final agreement in Vienna last Tuesday to end a 13-year-old nuclear standoff.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry in a statement yesterday ensured that the country's ballistic missile program and capability is untouched and unrestricted by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

Minutes after the approval of the UN resolution, the Iranian foreign ministry issued a rather lengthy statement, where it stressed Tehran's resolve to contribute an active role in war on terrorism and promotion of peace and stability in the region.

The statement ensured that "Iran will continue its pioneering role in campaign against terrorism and violent extremism", including its cooperation with the neighboring states.

"In addition, the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue making the necessary arrangements and plans to reinvigorate its defensive capabilities to protect its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity against any kind of aggression as well as its confrontation with the threat of terrorism in the region," it added.

"Within this framework, Iran's military capabilities, including its ballistic missiles, are exclusively for legitimate defense; these equipment have not been designed for the capability to carry nuclear payloads and thus, fall outside the scope and the jurisdiction of the UNSC resolution and its annexes," the Iranian foreign ministry statement stressed.