Iran News Round Up - December 4, 2017

French Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Agnes Romatet-Espagne stated that Iran’s ballistic missile program is not compliant with UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231. UNSCR 2231 endorsed the nuclear deal signed between the P5+1 and Iran in July 2015 and calls upon Iran to not undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology. Romatet-Espagne urged the U.S. and EU countries to address Iran’s ballistic missile program and destabilizing regional activities outside of the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Romatet-Espagne reiterated France’s support for the JCPOA and emphasized that “France does not wish to renegotiate or amend [the JCPOA].” She added that France has entered into political talks with Iran over the past few months to address the issues related to Iran’s ballistic missile program and destabilizing regional activities. (Alef) (Fars News Agency)

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Europe has taken a more positive, decisive position on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini on November 30. Senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have previously criticized EU countries for not taking practical measures to oppose President Trump’s policies on the JCPOA. Zarif added that European companies have travelled to Iran in recent months to negotiate agricultural and nuclear cooperative agreements. (Mehr News Agency) (ILNA)

UN sanctions monitors linked recent al Houthi missile strikes fired into Saudi Arabia to Iran in a November 24 confidential report to the UN Security Council (UNSC). The UN officials stated that four Houthi ballistic missiles launched in 2017 shared characteristics with missiles designed and manufactured in Iran. The report indicated that the design and dimensions of the Houti ballistic missiles are consistent with the Iranian-made Qiam-1 missile. The report noted that brokers likely transferred the missiles to al Houthi forces along land routes from Oman into al Mahrah Governorate in eastern Yemen or via ship-to-shore transshipments. UN monitors assessed that brokers transferred the ballistic missiles in pieces into Yemen, and pro-Houthi missile engineers subsequently assembled the missiles. The report indicated that UN monitors “have not seen any evidence of external missile specialists working in Yemen in support of Houthi-Saleh engineers.” (Reuters) (E)

Israeli Defense Forces launched several missiles toward a newly-constructed Iranian military base in Kiswah, Rif Dimashq Governorate in southern Syria on December 2. The BBC recently released a series of satellite images showing the construction of an Iranian military base in an old Syrian Arab Army military base in Kiswah located eight miles south of Damascus. Syrian state media reported that the Syrian army intercepted two of the Israeli missiles with surface-to-air missiles after midnight on December 2. Iranian and Israeli officials have not addressed the missile strike publicly. (Twitter) (BBC Persian)

• Alleged Iranian deaths in Israeli missile strike. The Times of Israel stated that IRGC-affiliated Telegram accounts allegedly reported the deaths of 12 Iranian military personnel in the Israeli missile strike targeting the Kiswah base. Iranian state media and news outlets have not confirmed the deaths of any Iranian soldiers relating to the December 2 strike. (Times of Israel)