Iran launched several ballistic missiles during a military exercise on Tuesday, the official IRNA news agency reported, amid reports that the released footage appears to the same as a previous launch in October.
The US voiced concerns of the tests, with Washington threatening to bring the issue to the UN Security Council if confirmed.
Meanwhile, a French diplomatic source said that the government was “checking this information. Iran’s ballistic weapons program constitutes a source of preoccupation,” the source told Reuters.
“The design by Iran of missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons would contravene U.N. Security Council resolution 2231 which calls on Iran to abstain from all activity in this field,” the source added.
The source said it was too early to discuss what measures could be taken if the tests proved true.
‘Deterrence power’
IRNA news agency said the missiles, launched from silos in several locations across the country, demonstrated the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ “deterrence power” and its readiness to confront threats. State TV ran what it said was video footage of the operation, showing missiles in underground silos and flashes of light from nighttime launches.
The test came two months after the United States sanctioned businesses and individuals linked to Iran’s missile program over a test of the medium-range Emad missile carried out in October 2015.
The United Nations said that test, which took place after Iran reached a nuclear deal with world powers in July, violated Security Council Resolution 1929 which barred Iran from undertaking any work on nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.
That resolution expired when the nuclear deal was implemented in January, but a new resolution then came into force under which Iran is “called upon” not to undertake any work on missiles “designed to” deliver nuclear weapons.
Iran claims to have surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers, capable of striking Israel and US military bases in the region.

Source: Al Arabiya, also extracted from Reuters and AP, 8 March 2016