Iran sent a shot across the bow of the Obama administration’s diplomatic outreach efforts Wednesday by announcing it had launched a test missile capable of reaching Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates confirmed to the House Appropriations Committee that the launch “was a successful flight test,” and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, appearing before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Relations and Related Programs, warned that Iran was “going to spark an arms race” in the Middle East.
{mosads}But despite the launch, Clinton stressed that diplomacy would be pursued. “Our goal is to persuade the Iranian regime that they will actually be less secure if they proceed with their nuclear weapons program,” she said.
And White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said during Wednesday’s briefing that engagement with the Islamic Republic still “makes sense.”
“Obviously, we’ve seen reports,” Gibbs said. “I’m not going to get into discussing intelligence matters. As I said, you all know the concerns that the president has about Iran’s missile development programs, its pursuit of nuclear weapons capability and technology, and the strong belief that the pursuit of those programs do not strengthen the security of — of Iran, but, instead, make them less safe.”
Iran’s announcement didn’t elicit much hue and cry from legislators. The office of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told The Hill on Wednesday afternoon that no hearings were scheduled on the missile launch.
“I want to announce to the Iranian nation and the residents of Semnan that Omid (Hope) Satellite, which was a source of hope for Iranian and other nations, was launched from Semnan,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday from a campaign rally in the run-up to June 12 elections.
“Fortunately, it was test-fired successfully and Sejjil 2 missile met the predetermined target,” Ahmadinejad said.
{mosads}The Islamic Republic News Agency said “he added that in the near future there will be more good news on progress of Iranian experts in the field.”
Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, told that country’s Army Radio that the Iranians were working on developing missiles with a 10,000-kilometer reach, adding that the Iranians were “playing with fire.” Alaska falls within the 10,000-kilometer mark.
The Sejjil 2 reportedly has a 2,000-kilometer reach. Israel is already within range of 1,500-kilometer missiles in Iran’s arsenal.
The timing of Iran’s announcement was notable, coming two days after President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Washington and hashed out their opinions on Iran’s budding nuclear program.
Israeli media reported that at a yearly scheduled strategic meeting at the Pentagon on Wednesday, the U.S. said it will fully fund development and production of the Arrow 3 missile interceptor. Gates had met with Netanyahu on Tuesday at the Pentagon.
“Israel has been concerned that the U.S. — which has supported the Arrow project since its inception over 20 years ago — would end the funding due to major cuts made to the American defense budget by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates,” the Jerusalem Post reported. “The development costs for the coming year will likely reach some $100 million.”