28 Mar 2024
Friday 22 July 2016 - 17:12
Story Code : 223859

Senior cleric blasts UN chief's report on Resolution 2231 as biased

TEHRAN (FNA)- Tehrans provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Khatami lashed out at UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his biased report on the implementation of the UN Security Council's resolution 2231, stressing that Tehran will not allow anyone to even speak about its defense capabilities.

Ban Ki-moon claimed in a report to the Security Council earlier in July that Iran's missile tests after the nuclear deal were "not consistent" with the spirit of the agreement signed with the world powers last July, although his words did not mean a violation of the resolution.

Addressing a large and fervent congregation of the people on Tehran University campus on Friday, Ayatollah Khatami said, "Ban Ki-moon's report is unfair and biased; unfortunately the lack of commitments by the US cannot be seen in this report."

He said that the UN ignores the breaching of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by Washington and it calls on Iran to quit its missile programs.

"The issue of our missile is neither related to the UN secretary general nor to the JCPOA; of course it is not strange to see such a report from a secretary general who is influenced by the Zionists and a secretary general who ignores the brutal killings of Saudi Arabia and crosses out the country from the list of violators of the human rights," Ayatollah Khatami said.

In addition to Ban Ki-moon, the western officials have in recent days showed surprising attention to Iran's missile program and have attempted to link it to the nuclear deal, which was described by Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi as indicative of a new plot against Tehran.

Iranian Government Spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht announced earlier this month that a special panel at the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) is studying the West's new plot against Iran, referring to the western officials' attempts to sabotage the last July nuclear deal.

Elaborating on Salehi's remarks, Nobakht said, "This issue is being studied by a special panel at the SNSC."

"Whenever we feel that certain measures are being adopted against the nuclear deal, we take position and will make retaliatory moves if there is proved to be a plot," he told reporters in Tehran.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in the Bundestag earlier this month that Iran "continued unabated to develop its rocket program in conflict with the relevant provisions of the UN Security Council.

Merkel claimed that NATO's anti-missile system targets Iran's rocket program and was "developed purely for defense".

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi lambasted her "unreal and unconstructive" remarks, and said Tehran's missile program doesnt violate the UN Security Council resolution 2231.

"We have announced that our missile activities are for defensive purposes, arent related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the last July nuclear deal inked by Iran and the world powers) and dont violate the JCPOA and (UNSC) Resolution 2231," Takht Ravanchi said.

He said Iran's missiles are no way in violation of Resolution 2231 as have not been designed to carry nuclear warheads.

"Therefore, Mrs. Merkel's remarks are far from reality and are not constructive and we certainly dont expect a country with which we have friendly relations to take such positions," Takht Ravanchi said.

By Fars News Agency
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