France, Great Britain and Germany backed the letter that was compiled by the US. In the letter, the US Ambassador Nikki Haley stated that the Simorgh space launch vehicle system would have a range of more than 185 miles if it was configured and set up as a ballistic missile.

Haley also mentioned in the letter that it would have sufficient payload capacity to be able to carry a nuclear warhead, presenting a very real threat.

The rocket was launched by Iran on Thursday 27th July and, as a response to the provocative move, the US slapped sanctions on six companies that are said to have links to the Iranian missile program.

In the letter, Haley emphasised that Iran is violating UN Security Council Resolution 2231 by continuing to develop ballistic missiles. The resolution was passed in 2015 to accompany the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers including those endorsing the letter to the UN Security Council.

Haley pointed out that Iran has a destabilizing effect in the Middle East and stressed that the resolution allowed sanctions to be lifted in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear program. Iran is required to refrain from carrying out any ballistic missile launches that are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Iran has said on numerous occasions that it is not trying to develop nuclear weapons and that it is in no way violating the resolution. However, the US states that the technology required for the space launch vehicle is very similar in composition to technology needed for ballistic missiles, “in particular to those of an intercontinental ballistic missile.”

The letter said that any ballistic missile system with a 500-kilogram payload and a range of at least 300 kilometres, according to the missile technology control regime, is capable of holding a nuclear weapon.

The letter stated that the enclosed information should be sufficient for the council to conclude in an informed and timely manner about what the appropriate action to be taken should be.

Haley has already asked the council, on several occasions, to react to the missile testing carried out by Iran. The US, France, Great Britain and Germany called on Iran, in the letter, to cease all ballistic missile activities with immediate effect. They also called on the international community to denounce Iran’s actions.