UNITED NATIONS: US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Thursday accused Tehran of 鈥渄estructive and destabilizing鈥� actions from ballistic missile launches to arms smuggling.
The speeches at a Security Council meeting on implementation of a UN resolution endorsing the July 2015 nuclear agreement showed the deep division over Iran between the five major powers who view the deal as a major achievement and the Trump administration, which is reviewing it.
The UN and the EU praised the Islamic Republic for implementing the nuclear deal with six major powers.
US President Donald Trump, congressional Republicans and Israel have assailed the agreement as a windfall to Iran that only delayed its pursuit of nuclear weapons. GOP lawmakers said it saved Iran鈥檚 economy by lifting economic penalties and allowed the country to funnel more money to terrorist groups.
Haley said only that the US would adhere to the deal to rein in Iran鈥檚 nuclear program while conducting the comprehensive review.
She focused on what the US views as Iran鈥檚 repeated violations of the 2015 resolution, which she accused the Security Council of ignoring. She cited ballistic missile launches and illicit procurement of missile technology as well as 鈥減roven arms smuggling.鈥�
鈥淚ran鈥檚 destructive and destabilizing role in the Middle East goes far beyond its illicit missile launches,鈥� Haley said. 鈥淔rom Syria to Yemen and Iraq to Lebanon, Iran鈥檚 support for terrorist groups continued unabated. Iran鈥檚 weapons, military advisers and arms smugglers stoke regional conflicts and make them harder to solve.鈥�
By contrast, the focus of UN political chief Jeffrey Feltman, EU Ambassador Joao Vale de Almeida and ambassadors from Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany was on Iran鈥檚 adherence to the nuclear agreement, though there were also expressions of concern about its missile tests and smuggling.
Feltman told the council that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres 鈥渋s deeply encouraged by the continued commitment by all participants to the agreement,鈥� calling it 鈥渢he embodiment of successful multilateral diplomacy, political will and perseverance.鈥�
He noted the International Atomic Energy Agency has issued seven reports, the latest in early June, documenting Iran鈥檚 continued implementation of its nuclear-related commitments and said Guterres believes sustained implementation of the deal 鈥渨ill guarantee that Iran鈥檚 nuclear program remains exclusively peaceful.鈥�
The diplomatic achievement, Feltman said, 鈥済ives us all hope that even the most difficult issues among states can be addressed through dialogue, understanding and reciprocity.鈥�
Vale de Almeida, speaking on behalf of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini who coordinates the nuclear deal, said, 鈥淭he initial results are clear and speak for themselves: Iran鈥檚 nuclear program has been rolled back and placed under tight inspections.鈥�
At a time when the world is again faced 鈥渨ith the threat of unchecked nuclear capabilities鈥� 鈥� a reference to the threat from North Korea 鈥� he said the Iran deal known as the JCPOA is 鈥渁 pillar of the international non-proliferation agenda鈥� that needs to be fully implemented.
In an apparent reference to the US debate over the deal, Vale de Almeida stressed: 鈥淲e would not be in a better position to address all the other non-nuclear matters (with Iran) without the JCPOA in place.鈥�
Britain鈥檚 deputy UN ambassador, Peter Wilson, called the Iran agreement 鈥渙ne of the most important diplomatic achievements in recent memory.鈥�
He said the UK encourages all countries and parties to the agreement 鈥� a message that appeared especially aimed at the US 鈥� 鈥渢o uphold their commitments, including ensuring that the Iranian people gain further tangible benefits from sanctions relief.鈥�


But Wilson also said 鈥渟ome less positive issues鈥� raised in Guterres鈥� latest report need to be addressed. He cited Iran鈥檚 Jan. 29 launch of a medium-range ballistic missile, reported violations of a ban on conventional arms transfers, including new evidence of an attempted arms shipment from Iran to Somalia, and multiple violations of a travel ban, including by Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guard鈥檚 elite Quds Force.
Haley stressed that the US would not 鈥渢urn a blind eye鈥� to such violations and will interdict cargo prohibited under the UN resolution and continue to impose sanctions on Iran.
鈥淭he continuance of the Iranian regime鈥檚 destructive, destabilizing behavior will prevent us from ever having a normal relationship with the US and the rest of the world,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd the regime鈥檚 continued oppression of its own people speaks volumes about its true nature.鈥�