Foreign Secretary statement on Iranian ballistic missile launch

Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said:

The UK continues firmly to support the historic nuclear deal with Iran. But the separate continued development of Iran’s missile programme is dangerous and provocative. Its testing of a medium range ballistic missile on 1 December further demonstrates that its activities go beyond what can be justified for national defence.

This latest launch, like several before it, is inconsistent with UN Security Council resolution 2231, which calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

We have urged the UN Security Council to ensure that Iran cease such activity in defiance of key UNSC measures, and that Iran and all Member States comply fully with the resolutions prohibiting proliferation of missile technology to and from Iran.

We will continue to raise these concerns directly with Iran and to coordinate our responses with partners. Iran must halt these destabilising and provocative acts.