Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke before the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday during which he urged a new ban on Iran’s ballistic missile activity.
Pompeo said during his speech that Iran has increased its testing of ballistic missiles despite the 2016 Iran nuclear deal and several U.N. Security Council resolutions, none of which has slowed the pace of Iran’s missile efforts.
“It is clear that the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile activity has grown since the nuclear deal. Iran has exploited the goodwill of nations and defied multiple Security Council resolutions in its quest for a robust ballistic missile force,” Pompeo said Wednesday. “The United States will never stand for this. No nation that seeks peace and prosperity in the Middle East should either.”
Watch Pompeo’s full speech below:
Pompeo described U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929, which was in effect during 2010 to 2015 and considered the strongest resolution against Iran’s missile activity.
“Iran shall not undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology, and that States shall take… necessary measures to prevent the transfer of technology or technical assistance to Iran related to such activities,” Pompeo read from the resolution.
Despite the strong language, Iran violated the resolution and continued with repeated ballistic missile tests, Pompeo noted. He also called out the U.N. for failing to hold Iran accountable for those violations.
“The United States made clear that Iran’s ballistic missile activity is out of control. Iran has been on a testing spree and a proliferation spree, and this must come to an end,” Pompeo said, according to NPR.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urges the UN Security Council to prohibit Iran from conducting ballistic missile tests https://t.co/fJCQ76QhvA pic.twitter.com/0WKtKAAYCz
— CNN (@CNN) December 13, 2018
Pompeo continued to describe Iran’s missile capabilities, including short-range missiles capable for 500-700 kilometer distances, medium-range missiles with 500+ kilogram payloads and distance up to 2,000 kilometers while capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
He added that Iranian officials have claimed to have weapons capable of exceeding 2,000 kilometers, which could hit many major European capitals.
“Today Iran has the largest ballistic missile force in the Middle East. It has more than 10 ballistic missile systems in its inventory or in development. It has hundreds of missiles which pose a threat to our partners in the region,” Pompeo continued.
The U.S. will seek to reimpose ballistic-missile restrictions on Iran via the #UNSC, says Secretary of State Pompeo. “We risk the security of our people if Iran continues stocking up on ballistic missiles.” https://t.co/P87YxmSwX0 pic.twitter.com/OWg5PFXnhn
— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) December 13, 2018
“Our goodwill gestures have been futile, futile in correcting the Iranian regime’s reckless missile activity and its destructive behaviors. No nation can dispute that Iran is in open defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231,” he said.
Every six months, the U.N. Security Council meets to review Iran’s activities to determine if they’re in compliance with Resolution 2231, which was intended as an addition to the 2015 nuclear deal, CNN reported.
Pompeo contended that the reviews – and the council itself – hasn’t done enough to stave off Iran’s missile activity. This failure is precisely why the U.S. acted on their own to withdraw from the nuclear accord and impose its own sanctions on Iran, Pompeo explained.
He called on the U.N. to enforce the missile restrictions of Resolution 1929, and to keep in place the arms embargo on Iran. He also urged the U.N. to “establish inspection and interdiction measures, in ports and on the high seas, to thwart Iran’s continuing efforts to circumvent the existing arms restrictions.”
