Iran Refuses to Confirm Conducting Missile Test

Iran Refuses to Confirm Conducting Missile Test
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, third left, his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault, third right, and their delegations hold of talks in Tehran, Iran on Jan. 31, 2017. AP Photo/Vahid Salemi
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TEHRAN, Iran—Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday refused to confirm whether his country recently conducted a missile test, saying the Iranian missile program is not part of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

The White House said on Monday that it is studying the details of an Iranian ballistic missile test.

During a joint news conference with visiting French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was asked if Iran had conducted a recent missile test.

“The missile issue is not part of the nuclear deal. As all signatories to the nuclear deal have announced, the missile issue is not a part of” the deal, he said.

Iran’s missiles, he added are, “not designed for the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead ... Our ballistic missile was designed to carry a normal warhead in the field of legitimate defense.”

A U.S. defense official said Monday that the missile test ended with a “failed” re-entry into earth’s atmosphere. The official had no other details, including the type of missile. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. was looking into whether the ballistic missile test violates a 2015 United Nations Security Council resolution.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault (L) speaks during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran, Iran on Jan. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault (L) speaks during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran, Iran on Jan. 31, 2017. AP Photo/Vahid Salemi