The Special Political Affairs Advisor to the Permanent Mission of the United States to the United Nations (USUN), Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, expressed his country's concerns about Iran's ballistic missile activities, stressing the United States' rejection of Russia and Iran's assertions that these activities are not covered by Resolution 2231, which calls on Iran not to do so. In his speech during today's Security Council briefing on Iran and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, DeLaurentis indicated that the reports of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency confirm Iran's continuation of its escalatory steps, including many steps that go beyond the nuclear limits of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as such activities are clearly inconsistent with the resolution, he said. He stated that Iran continues to install and operate numbers and types of centrifuges outside the limits of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and produce quantities and levels of enrichment of uranium that far exceed the limits of the deal, including enrichment up to 60% of uranium-235, and the production of uranium metal. DeLaurentis urged Iran to refrain from further escalatory steps and to return to full implementation of all JCPOA commitments, including those related to IAEA verification and monitoring and implementation of the Additional Protocol.
