France mulling new sanctions over Iran ballistic missile tests

PanARMENIAN.Net - French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Sunday, March 13 warned Iran of possible European sanctions over its recent ballistic missile launches, AFP reports.

"If necessary, sanctions will be taken," Ayrault said after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and several European counterparts.

Kerry described the launches -- which the U.S. has asked to be discussed at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday -- as a breach of UN resolutions.

"They are longer than the distance allowed for ballistic missiles. And because of that they represent a potential danger to the countries in the region and beyond," Kerry said, according to AFP.

"If Iran chooses to violate that they will invite additional sanctions."

The UN atomic watchdog has said Iran is complying so far with the landmark July 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

But under the terms of that deal that Western powers say is designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, it is still barred from launching ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear bomb.

Iran has maintained that its missile program is not aimed at developing a nuclear capability.