Iran says won't stop its missile program (UPDATE)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Fatih Karimov – Trend:

The Islamic Republic underlined that will not stop its missile program amid a new round of sanctions imposed by US on Iranian and Chinese figures for supporting Iran's ballistic missile program.

Iran’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying that the country will continue its missile program in line with its "inalienable and legal right" to upgrade the country’s defensive capabilities, the ministry’s spokesman Bahram Ghasemi wrote on his Telegram channel May 18.

US President Donald Trump on May 17 extended wide sanctions relief for Iran called for under the 2015 international nuclear deal.

Trump imposed narrow penalties on seven Iranian and Chinese people and companies regarding the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program.

The Iranian foreign ministry statement underlined that the Islamic Republic’s missile program does not violate any of Iran’s international commitments as well as the 2231 resolution of UN.

Paragraph 3 of Annex B of resolution 2231 (2015), adopted by the UN Security Council on July 20, 2015, endorsing the JCPOA(Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action aka nuclear deal), calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear warheads, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.

As a counter-measure to new US sanctions, the Islamic Republic imposed sanctions on nine US companies and individuals for "human rights violations" through direct or indirect cooperation Israel in committing "crimes against humanity or other terror acts," participation and assistance in supporting terrorist groups in the region and repression of people in the Middle East and participation in acts against the national security of Iran, the Iranian foreign ministry statement said.

The updated list of sanctioned people and companies will be released after obtaining approval by relevant Iranian authorities.