Paris Calls On Tehran To End Ballistic Missile Activity Amid Rocket Launch Concerns

France urged Iran on Friday to abandon any activity involving nuclear capable ballistic missiles, a spokesperson of the French Foreign Ministry said on Friday, amid concerns some countries have that Tehran's rocket launches use ballistic missile technology

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2019) France urged Iran on Friday to abandon any activity involving nuclear capable ballistic missiles, a spokesperson of the French Foreign Ministry said on Friday, amid concerns some countries have that Tehran's rocket launches use ballistic missile technology.

On Thursday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that his country would launch two satellites using domestic launch vehicles in the near future.

"France recalls that the Iranian missile program does not comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015). It calls on Iran to immediately stop any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons, including any launches using ballistic missile technology," the spokesperson said.

Rouhani's Thursday statement came amid rising concerns among some countries that believe Iran's rocket launches use ballistic missile technology. In January, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Iran would face economic and diplomatic consequences if it carried out three scheduled space launches in the coming months. In turn, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif noted that Iran's rocket launches do not violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

Iran recently made significant progress in its space program with the launch of its Simorgh Satellite Launch Vehicle in July 2017. The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France condemned the launch in a joint statement, saying it contravened the UN Security Council resolution.