UN Security Council to meet on Iran missile test at request of France, Britain

The UN Security Council will meet behind closed doors on Tuesday at the request of France and Britain after they accused Iran of test-firing a medium-range missile at the weekend, according to diplomats. The US said the missile launch on Saturday was a violation of a UN resolution that endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which Washington has withdrawn. The resolution calls on Iran to refrain from testing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear weapon. France’s Foreign Ministry described the test-firing as “provocative and destabilizing,” adding that it “does not conform” with UN resolution 2231 on the Iran deal. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called the missile test “provocative, threatening and inconsistent” with the resolution and said Britain was determined “that it should cease.” Washington’s Iran envoy Brian Hook urged the EU to slap sanctions on Tehran which target missile programs, AFP said.