TEHRAN, Feb 03 - Washington formally withdrew INF treaty under the pretext that Russia has violated it, Sputnik reported.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - On 2 January 2019 the US State Department published an official statement declaring that the United States has withdrawn from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. The withdrawal process will be complete in six months, according to the document.
Similar to a NATO statement made one day ago, the US State Department claimed that Russia is in "material breach" of the INF treaty, citing the 9M729 missile (NATO classification SSC-8), which can reportedly travel beyond the 500-kilometer limit noted in the agreement.
"In accordance with customary international law, the United States has suspended its obligations under the INF Treaty, effective today," it reads.
"The United States has concluded that extraordinary events related to the subject matter of the Treaty arising from Russia's continued noncompliance have jeopardized the United States' supreme interests, and the United States can no longer be restricted by the Treaty while Russia openly violates it," the document states.
The US issued Russia "and other Treaty Parties" formal notice that Washington will withdraw in six months, as required by Article XV of the INF agreement.
"If Russia does not return to full and verifiable compliance with the Treaty by eliminating all 9M729 missiles, their launchers, and associated equipment in this six-month period, the Treaty will terminate," the statement says.
Russia has repeatedly denied it possesses ground-based missiles capable of striking targets 500-5,500 kilometers distant. The 9M729, according to Russian military officials, has a range of only 450 kilometers.
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