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Iran Launches Another Ballistic Missile, Violating UN Security Council Resolutions

Iran tested a medium-range ballistic missile last month, once again violating United Nations Security Council resolutions that limit its development of missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads, Fox News reported on Monday.

Western intelligence says the test was held Nov. 21 near Chabahar, a port city in southeast Iran’s Balochistan province near the border with Pakistan. The launch took place from a known missile test site along the Gulf of Oman.

The missile, known as a Ghadr-110, has a range of 1,800 – 2000 km, or 1200 miles, and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The missile fired in November is an improved version of the Shahab 3, and is similar to the precision guided missile tested by Iran on Oct. 10, which elicited strong condemnation from members of the U.N. Security Council.

This August, Iran announced that it would carry out ballistic missile exercises later in the year. The move was seen as an effort by the regime to reinforce its interpretation of the nuclear deal, which forbids Iran from developing ballistic missiles for the next eight years. Days later, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared that Iran would not be bound by any UN resolutions regarding its weapons development while attending the unveiling of a new short-range ballistic missile.

In October, after Iran tested another precision-guided ballistic missile, Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said Tehran won’t “ask permission from anyone” to advance its defense programs. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said the launch violated existing UN resolutions, and the U.S., Britain, France, and Germany urged the UN sanctions committee to take “appropriate action” against Iran. In addition, 11 Senate Democrats sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressing their concern over the launch.

Yesterday, Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton called October’s ballistic missile launch “provocative,” and said that the proper reaction to such activities would the imposition of new sanctions against Iran.

[Photo: ali javid / YouTube ]