No Talks between Zarif, Kerry on Iran’s Missile Tests: Source
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An informed source at the Iranian foreign ministry denied claims about a conversation between Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry about Iran’s recent missile tests.
Iran test-fired two types of Qadr ballistic missiles during 'Might of Velayat' drills in north of Iran on Wednesday morning.
The two ballistic missiles, Qadr-H and Qadr-F, were launched by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) from the heights of East Alborz Mountains, north of Iran, and hit targets on the Makran coasts, southeast of the country.
A US State Department spokesman claimed later that Kerry has called his Iranian opposite number on Wednesday to protest the latest tests.
The Iranian foreign ministry source denied that there has been any such talk between the two.
He told IRNA that Kerry has been seeking to have a phone conversation with Zarif for some time but it has not been possible due to the Iranian top diplomat’s ongoing tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Iran has repeatedly announced that test of missiles is an issue relating to defense of its territorial integrity and is not in conflict with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a lasting nuclear deal reached between Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) back in July 2015, or the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the JCPOA.
Iran has also underscored frequently that its military might poses no threat to other countries and that the Islamic Republic’s defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.
