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US Examines Reports of Iranian Missile Test


FILE - This photo released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry on Oct. 11, 2015, claims to show the launching of an Emad long-range ballistic surface-to-surface missile in an undisclosed location.
FILE - This photo released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry on Oct. 11, 2015, claims to show the launching of an Emad long-range ballistic surface-to-surface missile in an undisclosed location.

The United States is reviewing reports that Iran carried out a ballistic missile test last month in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said Tuesday that the United States was "conducting a serious review" of the reports and would take appropriate steps if they were true.

U.S. officials said the test was conducted November 21 and that the missile traveled within Iranian territory.

Power said the U.S. was committed to ending Iran's ability to carry out launches. She said Washington had a number of bilateral and regional tools to deal with the ballistic missile threat.

"We’re looking into the reports," she said. "We will be back here [at the Security Council] if we deem a violation has occurred."

Fox News cited intelligence sources as saying the test was held near Chabahar, a port city near Iran's border with Pakistan.

Republican U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday condemned what he called the lack of a U.S. response to repeated Iranian ballistic missile tests that violate Security Council resolutions.

In a written statement, Corker said Iran "knows neither this administration nor the U.N. Security Council is likely to take any action.” He said, “Instead, the administration remains paralyzed and responds to Iran's violations with empty words of condemnation and concern."

In October, Iran tested a long-range ballistic missile, drawing condemnation from the Security Council. The council is still debating how to further respond.

Following that test, the White House said there were "strong indications" that Tehran "did violate U.N. Security Council resolutions that pertain to Iran's ballistic missile activities." However, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said those violations were "entirely separate" from the historic nuclear deal reached between Iran and world powers.

Under that deal, reached in July, most sanctions against Iran will be lifted in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear program.

The United Nations passed a resolution this year that calls on Iran to refrain from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons for up to eight years.

The Security Council also banned all ballistic missile tests by Iran under a 2010 resolution.

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