France 'concerned' over Iran's new 2,000-km range ballistic missile test

ANKARA

France expressed "concern" on Thursday regarding Iran's recent test-firing of a ballistic missile, citing a violation of the UN Security Council resolution that supports the 2015 nuclear deal, according to a statement from the French Foreign Ministry.

The statement from Paris followed Tehran's announcement in the early hours of Thursday about the successful test launch of a ballistic missile with a potential range of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles).

Anne-Claire Legendre, the spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry, expressed worry during a Paris briefing, citing the "continuing escalation of Iran's nuclear program" as a reason for concern.

The upgraded version of the Khorramshahr ballistic missile, called Kheibar, has a range of 2,000 kilometers and is equipped with a 1,500-kilogram (3,307-pound) warhead.

In January 2017, Iran had previously tested the Khorramshahr ballistic missile, which has a range between 1,000 and 2,000 kilometers, with a 1,800-kilogram warhead.