Netanyahu Demands Iran Be Punished for Launching Ballistic Missiles

Israel is demanding that punitive measures should be taken against Iran for its testing of ballistic missiles that are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Foreign Ministry to contact the P5+1 countries and demand that immediate punitive measures be taken in the wake of Iran’s repeated and gross violations of the Iran nuclear deal.

“This is an important step in and of itself and is also a test of the major powers in enforcing the nuclear agreement,” Netanyahu’s media advisor stated.

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said that Iran’s recent ballistic missile launches are “provocative and destabilizing.” Power, in a statement made on Friday, condemned Iran’s direct threats to Israel.

Power’s statement comes a day after Iran’s foreign ministry insisted that missile tests carried out by the country’s Revolutionary Guard this week do not violate Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers or with any U.N. Security Council resolution.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard test-launched two ballistic missiles on Wednesday emblazoned with the phrase “Israel must be wiped out” in Hebrew — a show of power by the Shiite nation, long an opponent of Israel.

It was the latest in a series of recent tests, aimed at demonstrating Iran’s intentions to push ahead with its ballistic program after scaling back its nuclear program under the deal reached last year with the U.S. and other world powers.

Power said that last year’s resolution calls upon Iran not to launch any ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon.

Netanyahu had been warning the West for several years against the nuclear deal.

By: AP and United with Israel Staff