Iran Threatens to Exit Nuclear Deal After Conducting Ballistic Missile Test

Kerry, Zarif (Reuters)
Reuters

Hours after the Iranian regime breached United Nations Security Council treaties by test-firing ballistic missiles on Tuesday, the nation’s leadership has again threatened to walk away from the nuclear deal they had agreed to in July of last year.

According to Iran’s state-controlled Fars News Agency, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi said, “If our interests are not met under the nuclear deal, there will be no reason for us to continue. What makes us remain committed to the deal is our national interests.” His comments were reportedly made hours after the breach was discovered.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani had similarly threatened to walk away from the now-historic deal back in November.

The AP notes that Tuesday’s missiles launch took place during a military exercise and was carried out by the Revolutionary Guard. Iran first test-fired ballistic missiles this past October, violating international treaties and resulting in new U.S.-imposed sanctions on persons and entities with ties to the Iran’s missile program three months later. 

Referring to the U.S. possibly slapping new economic sanctions on Iran as a consequence of Monday’s missile launch, Fars News quoted Araqchi as saying, “If other parties decide, they could easily violate the deal. However, they know this will come with costs.”

Iran’s nuclear ballistic missile launch follows a report that ” the international community’s nuclear watchdog organization [the International Atomic Energy Agency] disclosed that it is prohibited by the nuclear agreement from publicly reporting on potential violations by Iran.” The U.S. State Department had difficulty explaining why the JCPOA limits the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) public reporting on Iran’s potential deal violations.

IAEA chief Yukiya Amano reportedly said Monday that his agency is no longer permitted to release details about Iran’s nuclear program and that this arrangement is a byproduct of the JCPOA.

This past December, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari made reference to American presidential candidates who are committed to ensuring Iran does not violate the JCPOA, reportedly saying “The internal issues and power game in the US are not related to us. What is related to our interests will be implemented based on the agreements made in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the technical points which have been considered before (its endorsement).”

Iran’s missiles reportedly have a range of 2,000 kilometers; a distance that puts it well in within the range of Israeli and U.S. military bases located in the region.

In 2012, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, said Iran has 35 bases around Iran that are well “within the reach of our missiles” and could be hit “in the early minutes after an attack.”

Speaking exclusively with Breitbart News on Monday, Iran expert Dr. Behzad Tabatabei described the Iranian regime as “a three-legged stool. The first leg is enmity towards the United States (the large satan). The second leg is the small satan, Israel. And the third leg is enmity towards its own people and making especially sure that females are second-class citizens.”

Tuesday is International Women’s Day. Ironically, the head of Iran’s oppressive regime Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei tweeted out that it was the United States and western civilization that contributes to the oppression of women and treats them “as a product that men can benefit from.”

Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.