Iran confirms ‘important test’ of ballistic missile

Iranian officials confirmed Tuesday that Tehran carried out a ballistic missile test earlier this month that was widely upset White House officials.

“We will continue our missile tests and this recent action was an important test,” The Revolutionary Guards’ airspace division head Amirali Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by the semi-official Iranian Fars news agency, according to Reuters.

{mosads}“The reaction of the Americans shows that this test was very important for them and that’s why they were shouting,” he added.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ripped the test earlier this month, arguing it was in violation of a U.N. resolution restricting the Islamic Republic’s missile program.

“The Iranian regime has just test-fired a medium range ballistic missile that is capable of carrying multiple warheads. The missile has a range that allows it to strike parts of Europe and anywhere in the Middle East. This test violates UN Security Council resolution 2231 that bans Iran from undertaking ‘any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology …’ ” he said in a statement.

“As we have been warning for some time, Iran’s missile testing and missile proliferation is growing. We are accumulating risk of escalation in the region if we fail to restore deterrence. We condemn these activities, and call upon Iran to cease immediately all activities related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.” 

Iran has maintained that its missile program is purely defensive, with Iran reportedly holding up to 50 missile tests a year.

“The issue of missiles has never been subject to negotiations and nothing has been approved or ratified about its prohibition for the Islamic Republic of Iran in (U.N.) resolution 2231,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday, according to the Tasnim news agency.

“Our defense doctrine is basically founded upon deterrence.”

President Trump withdrew the U.S. in May from an Obama-era nuclear pact signed with Iran and other world powers, reimplementing sanctions on Iran. The U.N. nuclear watchdog declared in August hat Iran is still in compliance with the pact.

Trump and Republicans widely criticized the deal for not dealing with Iran’s non-nuclear activities, including its missile program and support for terrorist groups across the Middle East. The deal called for Iran to cease its testing of ballistic missiles but did not impose a firm prohibition on such tests. 

Iran has ruled out negotiating further with Washington regarding its military capabilities.

“Negotiations with former U.S. officials, who at least saved some face, bore such results! With current brazen U.S. officials—who have unsheathed their swords against Iranians—what negotiations can we have? Thus no negotiations with any U.S. official at any level will be held,” Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tweeted in August.

Negotiations with former U.S. officials, who at least saved some face, bore such results! With current brazen U.S. officials—who have unsheathed their swords against Iranians—what negotiations can we have? Thus no negotiations with any U.S. official at any level will be held.

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) August 30, 2018