Iran Tests Long-Range Missile, Possibly Violating Nuclear Accord

[Alex.]

"Iran tested a new guided long-range ballistic missile on Sunday, hours before Parliament, in a rowdy session, approved the generalities of the nuclear agreement reached in July between Iran and world powers, the state news agency IRNA reported.

The missile launch may have violated the terms of the agreement, reached in Vienna with six world powers. According to some readings of the deal, it placed restrictions on Iran’s ambitious missile program.

Experts have been debating the interpretation of a United Nations Security Council resolution, adopted a few days after the accord was agreed upon, that bars Iran from developing missiles “designed to carry nuclear warheads.”

Hard-line Iranian officials had for months been demanding new missile tests, a common practice before the negotiations over the country’s nuclear program began in 2013."

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/12/w...e-possibly-violating-nuclear-accord.html?_r=0

Why am I not surprised, they cannot be trusted. Obama got exactly what he asked for with the treaty.

 

[waltky]

Iran goes for nuclear deal...

Iranian Parliament Approves Nuclear Deal
Monday, October 12, 2015 - Iran's parliament approved the outline of the bill on the nuclear deal with the United States and other world powers.

The landmark agreement is meant to curb Iran's nuclear program in return for lifting international sanctions. The measure also allows Iran's government to withdraw from implementing the agreement if sanctions aren't lifted. Final approval of the deal is expected later this week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned repeatedly the deal poses serious risks both to Israel and the United States. Now that it's passed, he says it's important to make sure Iran tows the line. "Now that it's done, let's look forward," Netanyahu told CNN's Fareed Zakaria. "Let's keep Iran's feet to the fire. Let's make sure that they keep all their obligations under the nuclear deal. That's the first thing."

Meanwhile, the Washington Post's Tehran Bureau Chief Jason Ressian, who has been held for a year in Iran on espionage charges, has been convicted. He could face 10 to 20 years in prison, but details of the verdict have not been confirmed. In related news, Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Hossein Dehghan said Iran's new surface-to-surface guided missile can hit targets "with high precision," boosting "the strategic deterrence capability of our armed forces."

Iranian Parliament Approves Nuclear Deal - World - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com

See also:

Granny says, "Dat's right - dat was a bone-headed idea...

Bolton: Excluding Ballistic Missiles from Iran Nuke Deal Was ‘Fundamental Flaw’
October 12, 2015 | Iran on Sunday test-fired a long-range ballistic missile with a claimed new precision guidance system, less than three months after the Obama administration pushed through a U.N. Security Council resolution that unshackled Iran from some previous restrictions on missile activity. The reported range of the Emad (Pillar) surface-to-surface missile would include population centers in Israel, the Arab Gulf states and Turkey, as well as U.S. military assets in the Gulf.

Iran already has missiles boasting that range, but this time claims that a new guidance system would enable the Emad, in the words of Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan, “to strike targets with a high level of precision and completely destroy them.” “We don’t seek permission from anyone to strengthen our defense and missile capabilities,” he told Iranian state media after the launch – which he declared a success. During the negotiations that produced the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran resisted attempts by the U.S. and others to include ballistic missiles in the deal. “I think it was a fundamental flaw of the entire approach to the negotiations by the Obama administration, not to consider issues like Iran’s ballistic missile program as part of the problem,” former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton told Fox News on Sunday. “This program is not designed to launch weather communication satellites,” said Bolton, also a former undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. “It’s designed to be a delivery system for nuclear warheads.”

Referring to the Emad, he said while the development was not new when it came to the missile’s range, “the big breakthrough may be – if it’s true – its guidance system, because the more accurate the missile is, obviously the greater devastation it can cause.” After the JCPOA was finalized, it was enshrined in a resolution adopted by the U.N. Security Council on July 20. That resolution effectively replaced six previous resolutions passed between 2006 and 2010, some of which had prohibited Iran from launches that use ballistic missile technology, and restricted other countries from transferring ballistic missile technology or assistance to Iran. The new resolution weakened those limitations in several respects:

--The language used was less prescriptive than elsewhere in the text, with Iran being “called upon” to comply, rather than being told that it “shall comply”;

--The text is open to the interpretation that Iran is “called upon” to comply only with restrictions on missile activity that relates to nuclear weapons; and

--An eight-year expiration date was set for the restrictions.

As a result, the Iranian negotiators boasted from the outset that they had achieved their goals regarding missiles.

MORE

Related:

Iran Promoting Ayatollah’s Book: ‘Israel and America: Doomed to Annihilation’
October 9, 2015 | After Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in a recent U.N. speech cited a book of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s sayings, the regime responded this week – not by defending what Netanyahu called “a 400-page screed detailing his plan to destroy the State of Israel,” but by promoting a free online version of it. A Twitter account associated with Iran’s supreme leader posted a tweet this week reading, “Download the book which stirred Zionist regime’s reaction,” along with a link to an English translation of the e-book.

Entitled, “Palestine: The Most Important Problem of the Islamic World,” the book is a compilation of speeches, sermons and statements, the most recent from mid-2011, and the earliest dated just weeks after Khamenei succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as supreme leader in 1989. Netanyahu in his Oct. 1 speech at the U.N. called it Khamenei’s “latest book” and said it had been released several days after the recent nuclear agreement was announced, although it appears in fact to be the latest reprint of a book first published several years ago. Taken together, the compiled statements argue that the Palestinian issue is the most important one in the world for Muslims. Muslims everywhere have a duty to support the holy war against the “fake state and nation” of Israel, which was established by Zionist conspiracy as “an anti-Islamic regime in the heart of the Islamic world.”

America, as Israel’s foremost backer, is also a target of the ayatollah’s vitriol: “The world of arrogance consists of America – which is more evil and wicked than the rest of them – and its followers.” In a subsection entitled “Israel and America: doomed to annihilation,” Khamenei is quoted as saying in a 1991 speech: “We believe that annihilation of the Israeli regime is the solution to the issue of Palestine.” The supreme leader chided his listeners not to say that such an outcome is not possible, pointing to the dramatic and unexpected disintegration of the Soviet Union. “America’s power will decline as well,” Khamenei continued. “America will fall apart as well. This infernal power cannot be permanent. Israel will disappear as well.”

He based his confidence on the promises of Allah to “sincere and steadfast mujahids [holy warriors] and this promise cannot be broken.” “The oppressive and brutal Zionist regime – supported by America, global Zionism and reactionary Christians – thinks that it will manage to defeat the Palestinian nation with the crimes and tragedies it causes,” he said. “This is a big mistake and those who make this mistake will be severely punished in the future.”

Iran Promoting Ayatollah’s Book: ‘Israel and America: Doomed to Annihilation’

 

[waltky]

Obama puttin' himself over a barrel...

Obama got his Iran deal and the rest of us got a bloody mess in the Middle East
October 07, 2015 - Two reports on Syria, one on American efforts to bolster rebels and one on Russian efforts to protect Bashar al-Assad, combine to tell the whole story. It’s not a pretty picture.

President Obama’s weak-tea plan is summarized in a Wall Street Journal article that says he authorized a covert CIA program in 2013. The aim, the Journal reports, was to “gradually build a moderate force strong enough to put military pressure on Mr. Assad.” But instead of victory, Obama only wanted to “force the regime to accept a political solution.” Contrast that limited objective with Vladimir Putin’s sweeping plan, as summarized by Frederick Kagan and Kimberly Kagan. Beyond protecting Assad, they say Putin “means to forge a counter-alliance consisting of Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanese Hezbollah and demonstrate that his coalition is more effective than the West’s.”

In their intelligence update, they say Putin also aims “to establish a permanent foothold in the Middle East from which he can threaten NATO’s southern flank directly, project power into the Mediterranean and the Arab World, and generally re-create Russia’s aura as a global power.” The Kagans also mock Obama’s reaction to Putin’s buildup as “inexplicably bewildered.” They cite Secretary of State John Kerry’s assertion late last month that he lacked “clarity” on Putin’s intent. But as I wrote Sunday, there is no mystery. The White House deliberately downplayed the Russian buildup because it undercut central promises Obama made to Congress about the Iran nuke deal, which was then being debated.

One of those promises was that Russia would help enforce the terms. Instead, Putin actually was making common cause with Iran, and both are now killing the Syrian rebels we supported. Here’s the scorecard: Obama got his Iran deal, and the world got a more aggressive Iran, an expanded Syrian war and wider Russian influence. With each passing day, the cost of stopping Putin grows more expensive.

MORE Obama got his Iran deal and the rest of us got a bloody mess in the Middle East | Fox News

See also:

How America can counter Putin's moves in Syria
Oct 8, 2015 - Condoleezza Rice was secretary of state from 2005 to 2009. Robert M. Gates was defense secretary from 2006 to 2011.

One can hear the disbelief in capitals from Washington to London to Berlin to Ankara and beyond. How can Vladimir Putin, with a sinking economy and a second-rate military, continually dictate the course of geopolitical events? Whether it’s in Ukraine or Syria, the Russian president seems always to have the upper hand. Sometimes the reaction is derision: This is a sign of weakness. Or smugness: He will regret the decision to intervene. Russia cannot possibly succeed. Or alarm: This will make an already bad situation worse. And, finally, resignation: Perhaps the Russians can be brought along to help stabilize the situation, and we could use help fighting the Islamic State.

The fact is that Putin is playing a weak hand extraordinarily well because he knows exactly what he wants to do. He is not stabilizing the situation according to our definition of stability. He is defending Russia’s interests by keeping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power. This is not about the Islamic State. Any insurgent group that opposes Russian interests is a terrorist organization to Moscow. We saw this behavior in Ukraine, and now we’re seeing it even more aggressively — with bombing runs and cruise missile strikes — in Syria.

Putin is not a sentimental man, and if Assad becomes a liability, Putin will gladly move on to a substitute acceptable to Moscow. But for now, the Russians believe that they (and the Iranians) can save Assad. President Obama and Secretary of State John F. Kerry say that there is no military solution to the Syrian crisis. That is true, but Moscow understands that diplomacy follows the facts on the ground, not the other way around. Russia and Iran are creating favorable facts. Once this military intervention has run its course, expect a peace proposal from Moscow that reflects its interests, including securing the Russian military base at Tartus.

MORE

 

[Mr. H.]

Thank goodness they only do tests and not testes.

 

[Alex.]

Thank goodness they only do tests and not testes.

they already have Obama's

 

[waltky]

Should work out about the same time they get the delivery system right...

Deal Will Allow Iran to ‘Eventually Acquire' a Nuke
October 14, 2015 | The nuclear deal reached with Iran threatened to upset a delicate balance of power among Shi’ites, Sunnis and Israel in the Middle East, and encouraged Russia’s military involvement in the region, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb said during Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas.

“I believe that the signal that we sent to the region when the Iran nuclear deal was concluded was that we are accepting Iran’s greater position in this very important balance of power, among our greatest ally Israel, and the Sunnis represented by the Saudi regime, and Iran,” Webb said. “It was a position of weakness and I think it encouraged the acts that we’ve seen in the past several weeks,” he added, in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military intervention in support of the Assad regime in Syria, a key ally of both Russia and Iran.

Webb, who is languishing in the low single digits in opinion polls, also challenged directly the Obama administration’s contention that the nuclear deal will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability. He described the agreement reached between Iran, the U.S. and five other powers as one “allowing Iran to move forward and eventually acquire a nuclear weapon.” Moreover, he added, the deal had “sent bad signals, bad body language into the region about whether we are acquiescing in Iran becoming a stronger piece of the formula in that part of the world.”

Along with the Iran nuclear deal Webb identified two other “strategic failings” which he linked to “why Russia is in Syria right now.” One was “the invasion of Iraq, which destabilized ethnic elements in Iraq and empowered Iran,” he said. “The second was the Arab Spring, which created huge vacuums in Libya and in Syria that allowed terrorist movements to move in there.” Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee challenged Webb’s stance on the Iran nuclear deal, which Chafee indicated he strongly supports. “Senator Webb. I respect your foreign policy chops,” he said. “But Russia is aligned with Iran and with Assad and the Alawite Shi’as in Syria. So that Iran deal did not allow Russia to come in.”

Jim Webb: Deal Will Allow Iran to ‘Eventually Acquire' a Nuke

 

[Alex.]

Should work out about the same time they get the delivery system right...

Deal Will Allow Iran to ‘Eventually Acquire' a Nuke
October 14, 2015 | The nuclear deal reached with Iran threatened to upset a delicate balance of power among Shi’ites, Sunnis and Israel in the Middle East, and encouraged Russia’s military involvement in the region, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb said during Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas.

“I believe that the signal that we sent to the region when the Iran nuclear deal was concluded was that we are accepting Iran’s greater position in this very important balance of power, among our greatest ally Israel, and the Sunnis represented by the Saudi regime, and Iran,” Webb said. “It was a position of weakness and I think it encouraged the acts that we’ve seen in the past several weeks,” he added, in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military intervention in support of the Assad regime in Syria, a key ally of both Russia and Iran.

Webb, who is languishing in the low single digits in opinion polls, also challenged directly the Obama administration’s contention that the nuclear deal will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability. He described the agreement reached between Iran, the U.S. and five other powers as one “allowing Iran to move forward and eventually acquire a nuclear weapon.” Moreover, he added, the deal had “sent bad signals, bad body language into the region about whether we are acquiescing in Iran becoming a stronger piece of the formula in that part of the world.”

Along with the Iran nuclear deal Webb identified two other “strategic failings” which he linked to “why Russia is in Syria right now.” One was “the invasion of Iraq, which destabilized ethnic elements in Iraq and empowered Iran,” he said. “The second was the Arab Spring, which created huge vacuums in Libya and in Syria that allowed terrorist movements to move in there.” Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee challenged Webb’s stance on the Iran nuclear deal, which Chafee indicated he strongly supports. “Senator Webb. I respect your foreign policy chops,” he said. “But Russia is aligned with Iran and with Assad and the Alawite Shi’as in Syria. So that Iran deal did not allow Russia to come in.”

Jim Webb: Deal Will Allow Iran to ‘Eventually Acquire' a Nuke

Never doubted they could no matter what the negotiators wanted the public to believe.

 

[waltky]

Iran missile firing violated UN sanctions...

UN experts say Iran missile firing violated UN sanctions
Dec 15,`15 -- Iran's firing of a medium-range ballistic missile in October violated U.N. sanctions banning the Islamic Republic from launches capable of delivering nuclear weapons, U.N. experts said in a new report.

The report submitted to the U.N. Security Council and seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday said the launch used ballistic missile technology banned under a June 2010 resolution. The Oct. 10 launch was the first test of a ballistic surface-to-surface missile after Iran and six world powers reached a landmark nuclear deal on July 14. The Security Council endorsed the deal in a resolution on July 20 that also called on Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Iran says none of its missiles are designed to carry nuclear weapons. The report said the missile had a range of at least 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and up to 1,300 kilometers, and a payload of at least 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) and up to 1,400 kilograms (3,086 pounds).

But the panel said a missile with a range of at least 300 kilometers (186 miles) and a payload of at least 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) - far smaller than the one launched on Oct. 10 - is considered by expert guidelines to be capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction. The United States, France, Britain and Germany asked the Security Council on Oct. 21 to investigate and take "appropriate action" against Iran for the Oct. 10 missile launch. The Dec. 11 report by experts from the council committee monitoring sanctions against Iran supports the contention of the four countries that the firing violated U.N. sanctions. Whether the Security Council takes any action remains to be seen.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power accused some unnamed council members of refusing to take action against Iran for sanctions violations in recent months, but said the United States will keep pressing for enforcement. "Instead of an effective, timely response the Security Council has dithered," she told a council meeting considering a report from the Iran sanctions committee. She pointed to the lack of action on the Oct. 10 missile launch, a visit to Moscow by Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, who is subject to a U.N. travel ban, and the interception off the coast of Oman of a banned shipment of arms from Iran in late September. "This council cannot allow Iran to feel that it can violate our resolutions with impunity," Power said, stressing the importance of sanctions enforcement for "a credible, enforceable nuclear deal." Under the July nuclear deal, most sanctions on Iran will be lifted when its provisions are implemented in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. But the experts' report noted that "ballistic missile launches would be covered" under the July 20 resolution.

MORE

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - sanction the schlitz outta `em...

US preparing fresh Iran sanctions over ballistic missile test
Wednesday 30th December, 2015 | WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's government is preparing fresh sanctions against Iran and some international companies and individuals over the Islamic republic's new ballistic program in violation of a United Nations resolution, sources in the United States Treasury Department said Wednesday.

The proposed sanctions, which come months after Iran and the six world powers signed a nuclear deal, present a first test whether Tehran will stay committed to the agreement likely to be implemented next month. Ballistic missiles are sensitive with Iran because they could provide the delivery system for a nuclear warhead. Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news related to fresh sanctions, said that the Treasury Department plan is "directed at nearly a dozen companies and individuals in Iran, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates". They, the sources said, have been allegedly found involved in developing Iran's ballistic-missile program. The Wall Street Journal said that the proposed sanctions concerned two Iran-linked networks involved in developing the country's missile program.

If approved, the sanctions would prohibit US or foreign nationals from conducting business with the companies. US banks would also be required to freeze any assets the companies or individuals hold inside the American financial system. US officials maintain that the Treasury Department is well within its rights to impose sanctions against Iranian entities suspected of involvement in missile development. Even July's landmark nuclear agreement safeguards those rights. As part of nuclear negotiations with world powers, Iran accepted an eight-year extension of a UN ban on its ballistic missile program. Iranian officials have said the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would view new penalties as violating the nuclear accord. Among those targeted by the planned sanctions would be UAE-based Mabrooka Trading Co and its founder, Hossein Pournaghshband, for aiding Iranian state companies in acquiring carbon fiber for Iran's missile program.

The Treasury is also preparing to sanction five Iranian officials at the country's defense ministry and its subsidiaries for work on the ballistic-missile program, according to the newspaper. Earlier this month, US officials said Iran may have tested a medium-range ballistic missile on Nov 21 in violation of UN resolutions. The UNSC has banned all ballistic missile tests by Iran under a 2010 resolution that remains valid until a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers is implemented. As per the July accord, likely to be implemented in coming months, Iran must scale back its nuclear program to remove concerns it could be put to developing nuclear bombs.

US preparing fresh Iran sanctions over ballistic missile test

 

[waltky]

Impudent cuss, ain't he?...

Rouhani expands Iran's missile program despite U.S. sanctions threat
Thu Dec 31, 2015 - President Hassan Rouhani ordered his defense minister on Thursday to expand Iran's missile program, in defiance of a U.S. threat to impose sanctions over a ballistic missile test Iran carried out in October.

Under a landmark agreement it clinched with world powers in July, Iran is scaling back a nuclear program that the West feared was aimed at acquiring atomic weapons, in return for an easing of international sanctions. It hopes to see these lifted early in the new year. But sources familiar with the situation said on Wednesday that Washington is preparing new sanctions against international companies and individuals over Iran's testing of a medium-range Emad rocket on Oct. 10.

The escalating dispute centers on the types of missile that the Islamic Republic is allowed to develop and whether they are capable of, or designed to, carry nuclear warheads. "As the U.S. government is clearly still pursuing its hostile policies and illegal meddling ... the armed forces need to quickly and significantly increase their missile capability," Rouhani wrote in a letter to Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, published by the state news agency, IRNA. "The defense ministry, with the support of the armed forces, is tasked with putting in place new programs by all available means to increase the country's missile capability," he added. U.S. officials have said the Treasury Department retains a right under the nuclear deal to blacklist Iranian entities suspected of involvement in missile development.

Iranian officials have said the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would view such penalties as violating the nuclear accord. Earlier on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari condemned the U.S. plans to impose additional sanctions as "arbitrary and illegal". A team of U.N. sanctions monitors said in a confidential report seen by Reuters on Dec. 15 that the Emad rocket tested by Iran was a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, making it a violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution. Ballistic missiles follow a high, arching trajectory before falling under gravity to their target, unlike low-flying cruise missiles. Ballistic tests by Iran are banned under Security Council resolution 1929, which dates from 2010 and remains valid until the July nuclear deal between Iran and world powers goes into effect.

Once it does, Iran will still be "called upon" not to undertake any ballistic missiles work designed to deliver nuclear weapons for a period of up to eight years, according to a Security Council resolution adopted in July, right after the nuclear deal. Iran says the resolution would ban only missiles "designed" to carry a nuclear warhead, not "capable of" carrying one, so it would not affect its military program as Tehran does not pursues nuclear weapons. Iran has called Emad a conventional missile. In his letter to Dehghan, Rouhani said Iran's missile program had nothing to do with its nuclear program and that the missiles have "not been designed to carry nuclear warheads". The Iranian missiles under development boast much improved accuracy over the current generation, which experts say is likely to improve their effectiveness with conventional warheads.

Rouhani expands Iran's missile program despite U.S. sanctions threat

See also:

Report: US Delays Sanctions Against Iran's Missile Program
January 01, 2016 - Iranian president Rouhani ordered his defense minister to expand the ballistic missile program as a response to the threatened US sanctions

The White House is delaying plans to impose sanctions targeting Iran's ballistic missile program, according to a U.S. media report. U.S. officials had planned to announce earlier this week the sanctions against 12 people and companies in Iran, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates. But The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday the decision had been delayed. The sanctions "remain on the table," according to officials, but the paper said it is now not clear when or if they will move forward. The officials also stressed that imposing such financial penalties would not violate the agreement reached this year to scale back Iran's nuclear program. Tehran disagrees, saying the new sanctions would void the nuclear deal.

Iran threatens expanded missile program

On Thursday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ordered his defense minister to expand the ballistic missile program as a response to the threatened U.S. sanctions. In a series of tweets, Rouhani said, "If the U.S. continues its illegitimate interference with Iran's right to defend itself, a new program will be devised to enhance missile capabilities." "We have never negotiated regarding our defense capabilities including our missile program & will not accept any restrictions in this regard," he added. Responding to Rouhani's remarks, a senior U.S. official told VOA the U.S. has long taken action to counter threats from Iran's missile program and will continue to do so. He said that includes working closely with U.S. allies in the region to bolster their defenses against such threats.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks in Tehran. Rouhani ordered his defense minister to expand the ballistic missile program as a response to the threatened U.S. sanctions.​

The Wall Street Journal said the U.S. sanctions would target about 12 people and companies connected to the missile program. The sanctions would call on U.S. banks to freeze the assets of those on the list and bar people and companies in the U.S. from doing business with them. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari on Thursday called the planned sanctions "unilateral, arbitrary and illegal." Iran test-fired missiles in October and November. The U.S. and France said the October launch violated a U.N. Security Council resolution banning Iranian development of a ballistic missile. Iran rejected the allegations, saying the sanctions only applied to missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and that their missiles had no such capability.

U.S. experts said the only purpose of the missile would be to deliver a nuclear warhead. "We've been looking for some time at options for additional actions related to Iran's ballistic missile program based on our continued concerns about its activities, including the October 10th launch," an Obama administration official said. "We are considering various aspects related to additional designations, as well as evolving diplomatic work that is consistent with our national security interests."

Missile test

 

[irosie91]

we need a man like ROUHANI in the white house-------of his general character----
not the specifics

 

[waltky]

Iranian FM thumbs his nose at Kerry...

Iran’s FM to Kerry: We Won’t Negotiate Over Our Missiles
April 11, 2016 – Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif hit back Sunday at his erstwhile nuclear negotiation partner Secretary of State John Kerry for suggesting that Iran may consider negotiating an end to its ballistic missile program.

“Secretary Kerry and the U.S. State Department know well that Iran’s missile and defense capabilities are not open to negotiation,” state media quoted Zarif as saying during a joint press conference with his visiting Estonian counterpart – the latest in a series of European government representatives to visit Tehran after the lifting of sanctions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. “There will be no JCPOA for defense issues,” Zarif declared. During a visit to Bahrain last week, Kerry said in relation to concerns about Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region and missile launches that the U.S. and its Arab Gulf allies were “prepared to work a new arrangement to find a peaceful solution to these issues.”

His words were interpreted in some media reporting as implying an offer to negotiate with Iran over its missile program, although State Department spokesman Mark Toner disputed Friday that Kerry that making any such suggestion. Toner said Kerry was simply “emphasizing or underscoring the fact that if Iran chooses to act more constructively in the region, then we can have a different kind of relationship with Iran.” Pointing to that denial, Zarif said Kerry knew full well the missiles were not up for negotiation, and that even the State Department had called the claims baseless. At Iran’s insistence, its missile activities were left off the agenda in the talks that produced the JCPOA last summer. A series of provocative launches, last fall and again early last month, has prompted calls in Congress for new sanctions, a move not supported by the administration.

The administration has announced some modest unilateral sanctions designations, but efforts to respond multilaterally to the launches have run into Russian opposition at the U.N. Security Council. In a number of speeches and statements since the JCPOA was concluded, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly ruled out negotiations with the U.S. on any other issues. During a meeting between Khamenei and senior Iranian armed forces commanders on Sunday, chief of staff Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi presented a report on the military’s activities, telling the supreme leader the forces were obliged to develop missile capabilities “in a bid to defend the sanctuary of pure Islam and ensure the security of the nation and [its] borders.” Iran insists its missile program and launches are for purely defensive purposes, but U.S. intelligence officials dispute that.

MORE

 

[irosie91]

Iranian FM thumbs his nose at Kerry...

Iran’s FM to Kerry: We Won’t Negotiate Over Our Missiles
April 11, 2016 – Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif hit back Sunday at his erstwhile nuclear negotiation partner Secretary of State John Kerry for suggesting that Iran may consider negotiating an end to its ballistic missile program.

“Secretary Kerry and the U.S. State Department know well that Iran’s missile and defense capabilities are not open to negotiation,” state media quoted Zarif as saying during a joint press conference with his visiting Estonian counterpart – the latest in a series of European government representatives to visit Tehran after the lifting of sanctions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. “There will be no JCPOA for defense issues,” Zarif declared. During a visit to Bahrain last week, Kerry said in relation to concerns about Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region and missile launches that the U.S. and its Arab Gulf allies were “prepared to work a new arrangement to find a peaceful solution to these issues.”

His words were interpreted in some media reporting as implying an offer to negotiate with Iran over its missile program, although State Department spokesman Mark Toner disputed Friday that Kerry that making any such suggestion. Toner said Kerry was simply “emphasizing or underscoring the fact that if Iran chooses to act more constructively in the region, then we can have a different kind of relationship with Iran.” Pointing to that denial, Zarif said Kerry knew full well the missiles were not up for negotiation, and that even the State Department had called the claims baseless. At Iran’s insistence, its missile activities were left off the agenda in the talks that produced the JCPOA last summer. A series of provocative launches, last fall and again early last month, has prompted calls in Congress for new sanctions, a move not supported by the administration.

The administration has announced some modest unilateral sanctions designations, but efforts to respond multilaterally to the launches have run into Russian opposition at the U.N. Security Council. In a number of speeches and statements since the JCPOA was concluded, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly ruled out negotiations with the U.S. on any other issues. During a meeting between Khamenei and senior Iranian armed forces commanders on Sunday, chief of staff Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi presented a report on the military’s activities, telling the supreme leader the forces were obliged to develop missile capabilities “in a bid to defend the sanctuary of pure Islam and ensure the security of the nation and [its] borders.” Iran insists its missile program and launches are for purely defensive purposes, but U.S. intelligence officials dispute that.

MORE

did anyone expect Imperialist Iran to give up its imperialist, fascist and genocidal TOOLS?