United Nations

S/2016/237
Distr.: General 11 March 2016 Original: English

Security Council

Letter dated 11 March 2016 from the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council
I am writing to express Israel's strong condemnation of the ballistic missile test launches conducted in the last few days by Iran. The test firing of ballistic missiles constitutes a gross violation of United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 (2015), which endorsed the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1. The resolution restricts Iran from launching missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons -- the very same missiles that Iran test fired this week. The development of ground-to-ground missiles with nuclear warhead capability calls into question Iran's intentions to comply in full with the nuclear agreement. These tests constitute a dangerous precedent after the "Implementation day" of the nuclear agreement. The range of these missiles covers all of Israel, and senior commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards made it clear in statements to the media that some of these missiles are in fact intended for Israel. Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh was quoted as saying: "The reason we designed our missiles with a range of 2,000 km is to be able to hit our enemy the Zionist regime from a safe distance." According to Iran's semi-official news agency, the words "Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth" were written on the side of the missiles. Such a message constitutes a flagrant threat against the State of Israel. The Security Council must not stand by in silence when one State member of the United Nations calls for the annihilation of another Member State. Iran does not only pose a danger to Israel from a "safe distance"; it uses proxies to threaten Israel on many fronts. A senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami disclosed to Iranian media that Hezbollah, a recognized terrorist group and an Iranian proxy, possesses more than 100,000 missiles. This declaration is further proof of the role played by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the Hezbollah military build-up, in clear violation of United Nation Security Council resolutions 1701 (2006) and 1559 (2004). It also attests to the destabilizing role of Iran in the region.

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Iran continues to disregard its obligations to the international community and to develop its aggressive capabilities. This latest pro vocation makes it clear that the "smile campaign" of the current regime is nothing more than a smoke screen to disguise the real intentions of the Ayatollah regime. Iran's ballistic missile program must be stopped. I call on you to respond firmly and decisively to these Iranian violations and provocations. I should be grateful if you would have the present letter distributed as a document of the Security Council. (Signed) Danny Danon Ambassador Permanent Representative

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