Russia, China Block U.N. Condemnation of Iran Missile Tests

Louis Charbonneau
Reuters
July 15, 2013

New medium-range missile is fired from naval ship during Velayat-90 war game on Sea of Oman near Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran

A U.N. Security Council committee is split over whether Iran’s missile tests last year violated U.N. sanctions imposed on Tehran because of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Australia’s U.N. envoy said on Monday.

That division effectively rules out any expansion of sanctions against Tehran over the tests for the time being, U.N. envoys said on condition of anonymity.

Diplomats said it was Russia, backed by China, that refused to declare Tehran’s missile launches a violation of the U.N. restrictions, as a U.N. Panel of Experts on Iran said was the case.

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